S.   DFPARTMF:NT   OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU   OF   ANIMAL   INDUSTRY— Bulletin   No.  65. 

D.   E.  SALMON,   D.  V.  M.,   Chief  of  Bureau. 


THE 


POULTRY  AND  EGG  INDUSTRY  OF  LEADING 
EUROPEAN  COUNTRIES. 


BY 


ANDREW  POSSUM,  Ph.  D., 
Editorial  Office,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry. 


WASHINGTON  : 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING    OFFICE. 
1904. 


ORGANIZATION  OF  THE  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 


Chief:  D.  E.  SALMON,  D.  V.  M. 

Assistant  Chief:  A.  D.  MELVIN,  D.  V.  S. 

Chief  Clerk:  E.  B.  JONES,  LL.  M.,  M.  D. 

Dairy  Division:  HENRY  E.  ALVORD,  C.  E.,  chief;  CLARENCE  B.  LANE,  B.  S.,  assistant 

chief. 

Inspection  Division:  A.  M.  FARRINGTON,  B.  S.,  D.  V.  M.,  chief. 
Quarantine  Division:  RICHARD  W.  HICKMAN,  Ph.  G.,  V.  M.  D.,  chief. 
Editor:  GEORGE  FAYETTE  THOMPSON,  M.  S. 
^Artist:  W.  S.  D.  HAINES. 

Expert  in  Animal  Husbandry:  GEORGE  M.  ROMMEL,  B.  S.  A. 
Librarian:  BEATRICE  C.  OBERLY. 

LABORATORIES. 

Biochemic  Division:  MARION  DORSET,  M.  D.,  chief. 

Pathological  Division:  JOHN  R.  MOHLER,  A.  M.,  V.  M.  D.,  chief;  HENRY  J.  WASHBURN, 

D.  V.  S.,  acting  assistant  chief. 
Zoological  Division:  BRAYTON  H.  RANSOM,  B.  Sc.,  A.  M.,  acting  zoologist. 

EXPERIMENT   STATION. 

Superintendent:  E.  C.  SCHROEDER,  M.  D.  V. ;  expert  assistant,  W.  E.  COTTON. 


INSPECTORS    IN    CHARGE. 


Dr.  F.  W.  Ainsworth,  Union  Stock  Yards,  Pitts- 
burg,  Pa. 

Dr.  M.  O.  Anderson,  care  Geo.  A.  Hormel  &  Co., 
Austin,  Minn. 

Dr.  Don  C.  Ayer,  Post-Office  Building,  South 
Omaha,  Nebr. 

Dr.  G.  S.  Baker,  6th  find  Townsend  sts.,  San  Fran- 
cisco, Cal. 

Dr.  L.  R.  Baker,  South  St.  Joseph,  Mo. 

Dr.  Boyd  Baldwin,  care  Cudahy  Bros.,  Cudahv, 
Wis. 

Dr.  A.  E.  Behnke,  room  432  Federal  Building,  Mil- 
waukee, Wis. 

Dr.  John  A.  Bell,  Watertown,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  S.  E.  Bennett,  room  338,  Live  Stock  Ex- 
change Building,  Kansas  City,  Kans. 

Dr.  Eli  L.  Bertram,  care  Tri-City  Packing  Co., 
Davenport,  Iowa. 

Dr.  FredBraginton,  care  Continental  Packing  Co., 
Bloomington,  111. 

Dr.  J.  J.  Brougham,  care  Missouri  Stock  Yards, 
St.  Louis,  Mo. 

Dr.  G.  W.  Butler,  care  Drummond  Bros.,  Eau 
clair«-,  Wis. 

Dr. J.B.Clancy, National  stock  Yards,  ill. 

Dr.  Lowell  Clarke,  room  320  Quincy  Building, 
Denver,  Colo. 

Dr.  Charles  Cowie,  OgdeQflbqig,  N.  Y. 

Dr. David  dimming, 912  Lajieerave.,  I'ort  Huron, 
Mich. 

Dr.  Robert  Darling,  care  Chns.  S.  Hardy,  San 
Diego,  Cal. 

Dr.  K.  T.  Davis., n.  Kushville.  Nelir. 

Dr.  J.F.  Deadman.Sault  stc.  Marie,  Mich. 


Mr.  Albert  Dean,  room  328  Stock  Yard  Station, 

Kansas  City,  Kans. 
Dr.  F.  L.  De  Wolf,  care  Chas.  Wolff  Packing  Co., 

Topeka,  Kans. 
Dr.  Geo.  Ditewig,  care  Union  Stock  Yard 

cinnati,  Ohio. 
Dr.  E.  P.  Dowd,  care  White,  Pevoy  it  Dexter  Co., 

Worcester,  Mass. 
Dr.  O.  E.  Dyson,  316  Exchange  Building.  Union 

Stock  Yards,  Chicago,  111. 
Dr.  Geo.  C.  Fa  ville,  P.  0.  box  796,  Norfolk,  Va. 
Dr.  N.  K.  Fegley,  care   Sperry  &   Barnes,  New 

Haven,  Conn. 
Dr.  T.  A.  Geddes,  care   U.   s.  consul,    London, 

England. 

Dr.  H.  H.  George,  507  Johnson  at.,  Louisville,  Ky. 
Dr.  w.  II.  Gibbs,  care  Mortota-Gregson  <•• 

braska  City,  Nebr.      . 
Dr.  L.  K.  Green,  care  Hammond.  Standisli  &  Co., 

Detroit,  Mich. 

Dr.  11.  A.  Hedrick,21.r>  St.  Paul  St.,  Baltimore,  Md. 
Dr.  O.  B.  HeSs,  care  Frye-Bruhn  Co.,  Seattle,  Wash. 
Mr.G.S.  Hickox,  P.  O.  box  11  In,  Salt  Lake  City, 

Utah. 
Dr.  Julius  Huelscii,  care  Jersey  city  Stock  Yards 

( 'o..  Jersey  City.N.  J. 
Dr.  F.  W.  Hunttrigton, U.  s.  customs  ollicc,  <;.  T., 

K.  R.  wharf,  Portland,  Me. 
Dr.    Robert    .lay.    care  Jacoli    K.    Decker  <t  Sou. 

Mason  City,  Iowa. 
In-.  <;.  A.  Johnson,   Exchange   Building. 

City.  Iowa. 
Dr.  .lames  .lolinston,  care  U.  S.  consul,  Liverpool, 

England. 


M  'ontinued  on  3d  ]>agf:  of,  COVIT.] 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU   OF  ANIMAL   INDUSTRY— Bulletin   No.  65. 

D.  E.  SALMON,   D.  V.  M.,  Chief  of  Bureau. 


THE 


POULTRY  AND  EGG  INDUSTRY  OF  LEADING 
EUROPEAN  COUNTRIES. 


BY 


ANDREW  POSSUM,  Ph.  D., 
Editorial  Office,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry. 


WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT    PRINTING     OFFICE, 
1904, 


LETTER  OF  TRANSMITTAL 


U.  S.  DEPARTMENT  OF  AGRICULTURE, 

BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY, 
Washington,  D.  C.,  September  #7,  190 J^. 

SIR:  I  have  the  honor  to  transmit  herewith  an  article  dealing  with 
the  poultry  and  egg  industry  of  leading  European  countries,  by  Dr. 
Andrew  Fossum,  of  the  Editorial  Office  of  this  Bureau,  and  to  recom- 
mend its  publication  as  a  bulletin.  The  special  feature  of  this  article 
is  the  full  description  of  the  methods  of  producing  and  marketing  eggs 
in  Denmark,  by  which  that  little  Kingdom  is  able  to  secure  a  constant 
foreign  trade  at  high  prices. 

Respectfully,  D.  E.  SALMON, 

Chief  of  Bureau. 
Hon.  JAMES  WILSON, 

Secretary. 


CONTENTS. 


fage. 

Introduction 5 

Denmark 6 

Numbers  of  poultry 6 

The  export  and  import  trade 7 

Foreign  eggs  in  Denmark 9 

Imports  and  exports  of  poultry 10 

Poultry  and  egg  societies  in  Denmark 10 

Great  Britain 22 

Numbers  of  poultry 22 

Why  egg  production  has  decreased 22 

Importation  of  eggs 23 

Poultry  societies 24 

Per  capita  consumption 24 

Imports  of  poultry 24 

Ireland 25 

Work  of  the  congested  districts  board 25 

Cooperation  established 28 

The  Irish  Agricultural  Organization  Society 29 

Transformation  due  to  poultry  societies 33 

Instruction  in  poultry  keeping 34 

France 38 

Geographical  distribution  of  poultry 38 

The  conditions  of  production 39 

Method  of  collecting  eggs  at  St.  Malo . 41 

Production  and  consumption  of  poultry 41 

The  possibilities  of  improvement 42 

Imports  and  exports  of  poultry 42 

French  exports  of  eggs 43 

Live  and  dead  poultry 49 

Pat6  de  foie  gras 50 

Consumption  of  eggs  in  Paris 51 

Italy 55 

Germany 58 

Austria-Hungary 60 

Netherlands 63 

Belgium 64 

Russia 64 

Appendix  I. — Rules  governing  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark. .  67 
Appendix  II. — Rules  of  the  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Poultry  Breeding  in 

Denmark 71 

Appendix  III. — Rules  of  the  Society  for  Profitable  Poultry  Breeding 73 

Appendix  IV. — Rules  governing  the  Danish  Cooperative  Egg  Export  Society.  74 

3 


THE  POULTRY  AND  EGG  INDUSTRY  OF  LEADING 
EUROPEAN  COUNTRIES." 

By  ANDREW  FOSSUM,  PH.  D., 
Editorial  Office,  Bureau  of  Animal  Industry. 

INTRODUCTION. 

It  is  necessary  only  to  glance  at  the  imports  and  exports  of  eggs 
for  the  leading  countries  of  Europe  to  understand  the  place  that  the 
egg  trade  now  occupies  in  the  commerce  of  the  world.  Rapid  trans- 
portation has  made  it  possible  to  ship  this  perishable  article  to  dis- 
tances unthought  of  before.  So  it  has  come  to  pass  that  eggs,  which 
used  to  be  consumed  where  they  were  produced,  now  form  an  impor- 
tant part  of  the  food  supply  of  our  large  cities.  With  Germany  and 
England,  respectively,  importing  eggs  in  1902  valued  at  $27,386,898 
and  $30,702,575,  it  shows  that  the  time  is  past  when  we  should  con- 
sider this  an  infant  industry,  and  it  is  destined  to  expand  greatly  in 
the  near  future. 

A  perusal  of  this  article  shows  that  the  consuming  countries,  as 
shown  by  their  enormous  imports  of  eggs,  are  the  United  Kingdom  and 
Germany.  Both  of  these  great  countries  are  increasing  their  consump- 
tion every  year  if  one  m&y  judge  from  the  imports.  For  instance, 
the  imports  into  the  United  Kingdom,  which  in  1871  were  valued  at 
$6,149,368,  increased  fivefold  by  1902.  In  Germany  the  imports 
increased  in  value  from  $17,103,108  in  1895  to  $27,386,898  in  1902. 

The  conspicuous  position  that  Denmark  now  occupies  in  the  Euro- 
pean egg  trade  has  called  attention  to  the  methods  followed  in  the 
development  of  its  poultry  industry.  Denmark  was  the  first  country 
to  develop  and  perfect  the  system  now  in  vogue  in  that  country,  and 
the  principles  have  proved  so  sound  that  several  other  countries  have 
followed  in  her  steps. 

The  success  of  the  enterprise  has  been  so  complete,  both  in  Denmark 
and  in  other  countries  that  have  tried  it,  that  the  people  of  the  United 
States  can  hardly  afford  to  overlook  it  any  longer.  This  industry  in 

«From  the  nature  of  the  subject  in  hand  the  official  documents  have  been  indis- 
pensable in  preparing  this  report.  The  author  has  used  freely  whatever  has  suited 
the  purposes  of  this  report  in  Danish,  English,  French,  and  German  publications, 
and  it  would  hardly  be  possible  to  give  due  credit  in  every  instance  to  each  docu- 
ment. As  regards  Denmark,  thanks  are  due  to  the  following  persons,  who  have  fur- 
nished valuable  data:  Hr.  J.  Kornerup,  Aarhus;  Hr.  Anton  Thomsen,  Terpling  ved 
Hoisted,  and  Hon.  Raymond  R.  Frazier,  United  States  consul  at  Copenhagen. 

5 


6 


BUREAU    OF   ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


America  is  extensive,  but  it  lacks  organization  to  such  an  extent  that 
in  spite  of  the  great  production  our  large  cities  are  paying  famine 
prices  for  an  inferior  article.  Organization  along  the  lines  followed 
in  Denmark  would  be  in  the  interest  of  the  producer  and  consumer 
alike.  The  producer  would  obtain  better  prices  and  the  consumer 
would  obtain  guaranteed  fresh  eggs  of  full  weight. 

England,  which  is  the  center  of  the  European  trade,  is  too  remote 
to  furnish  a  large  opening  for  eggs  from  this  side  of  the  Atlantic  so 
long  as  the  conditions  obtaining  here  continue.  But  the  large  cities 
upon  the  Eastern  seaboard  and  in  the  interior  of  the  country  should, 
with  better  organization,  be  more  profitable  markets  than  any  foreign 
market. 

DENMARK. 


NUMBERS   OF  POULTRY. 


The  earliest  census  of  poultry  took  place  in  1888.  Since  then  there 
have  been  two  censuses — one  in  1893  and  another  in  1898.  The  table 
below  shows  the  reports  for  these  three  years: 

Numbers  of  poultry  in  Denmark  in  1888,  1893,  and  1898. 


Year. 

Chickens. 

Turkeys. 

Ducks. 

Geese. 

1888  

4  592  000 

32  000 

644  000 

214  000 

1893  

5  856,000 

41  000 

724  000 

230  000 

1898    

8  767  000 

52  000 

803  000 

211  000 

It  appears  from  this  table  that  chickens,  turkeys,  and  ducks  have 
increased  in  number  in  the  years  between  1888  and  1898,  while  geese 
have  decreased.  This  seems  to  be  owing  to  the  greater  profitableness 
of  the  former. 

As  a  rule,  chickens  are  not  kept  separately,  but  in  connection  with 
other  agriculture.  Poultry  is  kept  on  all  farms.  But  it  is  evident 
that  the  importance  of  keeping  poultry  is  greater  for  the  small  than 
for  the  large  farms,  as  the  former  lack  other  sources  of  income. 

In  1895  there  were  in  Denmark  236,860  farms  and  small  holdings. a 
According  to  the  poultry  census  of  1898,  there  were  37  chickens  on 
the  average  to  the  farm  or  holding.  Distributed  according  to  the 
acreage,  Denmark  has  an  average  of  0.92  chicken  to  the  acre.  We 
should  not  lose  sight  of  the  fact  that  poultry  keeping  may  be  con- 
ducted with  a  small  capital,  and  that  in  consequence  of  this  it  is 
possible  for  the  poorest  classes  to  go  into  it  with  promise  of  profitable 
returns. 

«  Statistisk  Tabelvark,  Fjerde  Riikke,  Litra  C.  Nr.  9  Danmarks  Jordbrug  den  Iste 
Januar  1895. 


POULTRY    AND   EGGS   IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


THE    EXPORT   AND   IMPORT   TRADE. 

The  earliest  statistics  of  the  exports  of  eggs  from  Denmark  proper 
go  back  to  1861,  while  the  imports  begin  three  }^ears  later,  being 
counted  for  the  first  three  years  with  those  of  Schleswig-Holstein  and 
the  Lubeck  and  Hanseatic  Enclaves. 

A  table  showing  the  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  for  the  period  1861 
to  1902  is  given  herewith: 

Danish  imports  and  exports  of  eggs,  1861  to  1902. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1861                                                         

Dozens. 

Dollars. 

Dozens. 
13,707 
16,  745 
24,790 
43,257 
58,080 

Dollars. 

1862                                                            

1863  a  .             .               .   .             

2,987 

1864-65               

858 
3,335 

1865-66  

1866-67                                                                         

1867-68  

3,862 
3,242 

4,158 
43,690 

51,378 

44,352 
53,950 
93,420 
574,215 
1,149,232 
2,378,070 
1,972,697 
2,658,440 
2,  328,  888 
1,573,949 
2,001,622 
2,  183,  677 
3,  320,  092 
3,100,122 
3,  983,  408 
4,690,463 
6,  071,  870 
6,040,800 
7,752,618 
9,  246,  208 
8,389,437 
9,731,440 
11,143,255 
11,949,838 
13,232,140 
11,711,318 
13,250,073 
13,  175,  318 
16,375,873 
20,  752,  755 
22,260,902 
25,248,703 
27,  646,  617 
31,866,492 
36,403,125 
42,  500,  000 

1868-69                                                                         

1869-70                                                                       

1870-71  

1871-72                                         .   .                  

12,370 
29,  273 
68,063 
38,125 
23,557 
117,  237 
108,038 
94,750 
85,427 
135,  305 
140,  908 
206,  357 
408,  728 
424,678 
207,  285 
173,658 
310,958 
738,078 
948,  705 
1,705,223 
1,815,423 
1,768,030 
1,  566,  460 
1,422,673 
2,  087,  960 
2,296,617 
2,  589,  558 
2,  146,  977 
2,  248,  628 
3,  098,  830 
5,  275,  563 

1872-73        .   ..                

1873-74            

9,  121 
5,395 
3,987 
19,129 
17,025 
13,819 
12,500 
19,581 
21,411 
31,640 
64,120 
63,242 
30,900 
24,188 
42,  597 
96,386 
139,  108 
276,  942 
293,088 
264,547 
270,249 
211,  837 
318,  203 
343,835 
365,  142 
312,  690 
318,  062 
403,  440 
499,284 
678,  576 

318,676 
279,  145 
451,126 
382,  712 
248,  026 
296,  112 
319,  523 
520,  483 
467,083 
616,  774 
795,  748 
904,204 
900,451 
1,  080,  072 
1,256',  368 
1,236,236 
1,457,626 
1,541,754 
1,809,754 
1,933,220 
2,  183,  687 
2,020,464 
2,  258,  704 
2,  764,  902 
3,  514,  910 
3,668,353 
4,488,464 
4,870,096 
5,  734,  128 
6,  527,  944 
''8,092,000 

1874  a  

1875 

1876 

1877                                                                                     .... 

1878  .                  

1879  ..                           .   .            

1880  

1881  

1882  

1883 

1884 

1885  .. 

1886  

1887  

1888  

1889  

1890 

1891  

1892  

1893  

1894  '  

1895  

1896  

1897  „.  

1898  

1899  

1900  

1901  

1902  

4,587,760 

1903  

«The  figures  for  this  year  are  for  all  of 
1864,  to  1874,  the  year  ended  on  March  31; 
b  Preliminary  figures. 


1863  and  the  first  three  months  of  1864.    After  March  31, 
the  year  of  1874  is  therefore  shortened  to  nine  months. 


8  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

In  treating  of  the  exports  of  eggs  from  Denmark  from  1861  up  to 
the  present  time  the  general  movements  only  are  considered  that  have 
manifested  themselves  in  the  course  of  a  series  of  years,  and  the  minor 
fluctuations  discarded  that  result  from  cold  and  unfavorable  seasons 
or  from  the  demands  of  temporary  markets.  The  exports  of  1861 
were  13,707  dozens,  and,  although  not  the  first,  are  plainly  small 
enough  to  be  considered  the  beginning.  The  exports  of  the  first  ten 
years  are  rather  erratic,  and  show  an  uncertain  condition  of  supply, 
but  there  is  a  general  tendency  toward  increase. 

During  the  next  ten  years  the  exports  rose  from  574,215  to  3,100,122 
dozens.  What  contributed  more  than  anything  else  to  the  increasing 
regularity  in  the  exports  of  eggs  was  the  fact  that  Denmark  now  found 
a  large  and  steady  market  in  England.  Before  this,  Norway  had  been 
the  chief  customer,  using  Danish  eggs  chiefly  to  provision  her  large 
merchant  marine;  but  in  1871  England  took  the  lead,  which  she  has 
ever  since  held,  in  buying  Danish  eggs.  Beginning  with  the  purchase 
of  two-thirds  of  the  Danish  exports  of  eggs  in  1871,  England  has 
always  been  the  largest  buyer  and  often  taken  nearly  the  entire  supply. 
The  Danes  soon  found  it  to  their  interest  to  win  the  good  will  of  this 
great  customer,  and  have  systematically  labored  to  improve  the  quality 
of  the  supply. 

In  the  decade  ]  881  to  1890  we  notice  considerable  improvement. 
The  exports  rise  from  a  trifle  under  3,100,122  to  11,143,255  dozens. 
The  increase,  moreover,  is  more  steady  and  regular,  and  averages  about 
800,000  dozens  a  year  for  the  decade.  To  this  period,  it  will  be 
remembered,  belongs  the  rise  of  several  poultry  societies  which  helped 
to  create  and  maintain  a  stronger  interest  in  this  industry. 

The  Danish  Cooperative  Egg  Export  Society  came  into  the  field  in 
1895  and  brought  life  and  vigor  into  the  industry,  and  soon  the  exports 
rose  by  leaps  and  bounds,  increasing  at  the  average  rate  of  3,333,333 
dozens  a  year.  The  Danes  were  already  familiar  with  the  workings 
of  the  cooperative  system  in  other  lines  and  now  decided  to  apply  its 
principles  for  the  first  time  to  the  egg  trade.  They  knew  that  they 
could  not  obtain  better  prices  for  their  eggs  so  long  as  some  of  them 
continued  to  sell  bad  and  dirty  eggs,  and  that,  as  a  matter  of  self -pro- 
tection, it  was  necessary  to  oblige  all  who  shipped  tinder  a  common 
trade-mark  to  guarantee  their  products.  In  this  way  only  could  they 
compete  in  the  best  markets  and  obtain  the  highest  prices.  The  egg 
trade  is  one  of  the  industries  to  which  the  cooperative  principles  can 
be  best  adapted,  and,  one  might  even  add,  the  one  without  which  suc- 
cess is  only  possible  under  exceptional  circumstances.  Nothing  can 
better  demonstrate  the  correctness  of  the  Danish  views  than  the  suc- 
cess which  attended  the  undertaking.  Instead  of  being  the  cheapest, 
Danish  eggs  now  rank  with  the  highest  in  the  British  market;  and 
instead  of  exporting  a  few  million  dozens,  as  we  might  expect  from  a 


POULTRY    AND   EGGS   IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


9 


small  agricultural  country,  Denmark  outranks  all  European  countries, 
when  the  size  of  territory  and  population  are  taken  into  consideration. 
While  Denmark  in  1902  exported  eggs  valued  at  $6,527,944,  Germany, 
with  an  area  more  than  fourteen  times  greater,  imported  eggs  in  the 
same  year  to  the  value  of  $27,387,058. 

The  table  below  gives  for  1900  the  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  for 
several  countries  and  their  percentage  per  capita: 

Value  of  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  and  per  cent  per  capita  of  population,  1900. 


Country. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

France  

Dollars. 
3,  408,  579 
24,061,090 
65,190 

Per  cent. 
0.09 
.43 
.002 

Dollars.  . 
2,895,545 
140,  082 
9,656,840 
15,835,214 
20,150,285 
1,505,979 
655,470 

Per  cent. 
0.08 
.002 
.30 
.15 
.45 
.23 
.13 

Germany  

Italy  

Russia                              .                              -  . 

Austria-Hungary  

5,  563,  155 
1,962,424 
1,074,802 
26,308,396 
423,440 

.12 
.30 
.21 
.71 
.17 

Belgium                                                                    

Holland..     .                                                 

England  .                        

Denmark  

4,852,676 

1.98 

The  increase  in  the  egg  export  has  been  so  great  as  to  change  its 
relative  position  with  regard  to  other  items  of  export.  The  table  of 
values  below  shows  that  eggs  occupied  the  fifth  or  sixth  place  in  1878 
and  the  third  place  in  1901: 


Exports  in  1878. 

Butter $7, 906, 000 

Cattle 5, 876, 400 

Horses 1,715,200 

Bacon  and  meat 1, 527, 600 

Eggs 321,600 


Exports  in  1900. 

Butter $35, 456, 400 

'Bacon 22, 214, 000 

Eggs 5,681,600 

Meat 3, 108,  800 

Horses 3, 082, 000 

Cattle 2, 224, 400 


FOREIGN    EGGS   IN   DENMARK. 

The  imports,  like  the  exports,  have  steadily  grown.  From  a  few  thou- 
sand dozens  in  the  "sixties"  they  have  risen  to  over  4,000,000  dozens 
in  forty  years.  Sweden  and  the  former  Danish  provinces  (Schleswig- 
Holstein  and  Lauenburg)  used  to  be  the  principal  sources  of  the  sup- 
ply, till  Russia  supplanted  them  during  the  last  decade.  Nearly  all  the 
eggs  imported  into  Denmark  go  into  home  consumption,  only  a  small 
fraction  entering  into  the  reexports.  The  transit  trade,  which  figure's 
so  largely  in  some  countries,  is  here  very  small.  The  imports  did  not 
reach  the  100,000-score  mark  (score  =  20  eggs)  till  the  early  "eighties." 
Beginning  with  1890  they  have  remained  for  ten  years  at  about 
1,000,000  scores,  and  in  the  last  three  years  have  doubled.  As  Dan- 
ish eggs  bring  a  high  price  and  are  in  demand,  it  is  more  profitable  to 
sell  their  own  product  and  to  supply  some  of  the  home  demand  by 
imports  from  abroad.  Foreign  eggs,  at  the  same  time,  being  com- 


10 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL   INDUSTRY. 


paratively  fresh  on  their  arrival  in  Denmark,  would  become  rather 
old  when  they  reached  the  British  consumer. 

IMPORTS   AND   EXPORTS   OF   POULTRY. 

A  table  giving  the  imports  and  exports  of  poultry  shows  that  the 
former  have  far  exceeded  the  latter  during  the  last  eighteen  y ears: 

Danish  imports  and  exports  of  poultry,  1885  to  1902. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

1885  

56,409 
21,096 
13,253 
15,  917 
104,285 
79,698 
149,  286 
100,  095 
142,  020 

856,238 
18,  770 
11,792 
14,145 
92,677 
70,827 
104,663 
70,  175 
97,008 

2,102 
1,801 
1,790 
1,449 
886 
2,197 
2,298 
1,871 
2,476 

82,453 
2,027 
2,015 
1,631 
997 
2,473 
2,039 
1,855 
2,356 

1894  

139,  127 
146,  233 
82,  151 
70,384 
57,  373 
49,  078 
21,905 
64,019 
36,891 

•96,944 
101,  503 
53,940 
56,589 
47,  936 
35,  396 
17,608 
43,443 
29,668 

2,119 
4,835 
4,075 
1,546 
1,420 
2,800 
3,897 
3,701 
6,081 

2,091 
4,632 
4,041 
1,657 
1,522 
2,948 
4,036 
4,958 
7,879 

1886  

1895  

1887 

1896 

1888 

1897 

1889 

1898 

1890 

1899.  ,  
1900 

1891  

1892 

1901 

1893  

1902  . 

POULTRY  AND  EGG   SOCIETIES  IN  DENMARK. 

The  fact  that  so  many  poultry  societies  lead  a  perfunctor}^  life  and 
exist  only  on  paper  might  lead  one  to  overlook  their  importance.  But 
what  poultry  societies  can  accomplish  in  spreading  information  and 
inculcating  rational  methods  in  the  industry,  we  may  learn  from  the 
history  of  the  poultry  societies  in  Denmark.  In  that  country  we  can 
trace  back  to  the  societies  the  influence  that  elevated  the  industry  from 
the  low  estate  in  which  it  was  before  reaching  the  rank  it  now  occupies. 
The  societies,  with  intelligent  men  at  their  head,  led  the  way.  As  it 
was  the  societies  that  made  the  improvements  and  brought  about  the 
exceptional  conditions  that  now  obtain  in  this  industry  in  Denmark,  it 
will  be  worth  our  while,  in  order  to  understand  the  progress  that  has 
been  made,  to  discuss  at  some  length  the  history  of  these  societies. 
The  purpose  of  a  few  of  these  following  pages  will  be  to  give  an 
account  of  the  history  of  the  different  societies  that  have  contributed 
to  the  remarkable  development  of  this  industry.  At  the  same  time 
the  purpose  has  been  maintained  to  give  all  information  obtainable 
about  the  poultry  organizations  in  other  leading  European  nations, 
together  with  a  full  record  of  imports  and  exports  of  poultry  and  eggs. 

HISTORY  OF  THE  DANISH  POULTRY  SOCIETIES. 
SOCIETY  FOR  POULTRY  BREEDING  IN  DENMARK." 

HISTORY    AND   DEVELOPMENT.6 

The  first  impulse  tending  to  better  organization  in  poultry  raising 
as  well  as  in  several  other  industries  came  from  Consul-General  Hen- 

«For  rules,  see  Appendix  I,  p.  472;  for  by-laws,  p.  474. 

&  A  comprehensive  sketch  of  these  societies  appeared  in  the  quarter-centennial 
number  of  Tidsskrift  For  Fjerkraeavl,  Aarhus,  June  16,  1903. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


11 


drik  Pontoppidan,  a  man  held  in  great  esteem  in  Denmark  for  his 
broad  and  high-minded  patriotism.  In  June,  1878,  a  small  but  enthusi- 
astic party  met  on  his  estate,  Constantinsborg,  near  Aarhus,  to  consider 
in  an  informal  way  what  could  be  done  to  improve  the  condition  of  the 
poultry  industry.  After  a  preliminary  meeting  they  organized  a 
society  at  Aarhus  on  November  30  of  the  same  year.  That  there  was 
genuine  interest  in  the  enterprise  appears  from  the  fact  that  forty 
speakers  listed  for  the  occasion  did  not  exhaust  the  fund  of  enthusiasm. 
The  society  adopted  the  name  "The  Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Poul- 
try Breeding,  Especially  of  Chicken  Breeding  and  Egg  Trade.'1  As 
the  meeting  declared,  the  object  was  to  be  attained  by  discussions, 
lectures,  exhibits,  and  pamphlets;  by  giving  advice  and  information 
in  matters  pertaining  to  poultry  breeding;  by  supplying  the  farmers 
with  breeding  animals  and  sitting  eggs;  by  building  a  model  poultry 
run,  and  by  furthering  the  interests  of  the  industry  in  every  way  that 
the  directors  might  deem  expedient.  It  also  assists  local  societies  in 
their  exhibits  by  giving  advice,  lending  cages,  selecting  judges,  and 
offering  prizes.  The  same  meeting  adopted  a  series  of  rules,  or  laws. 
According  to  these  the  practical  management  is  in  the  hands  of  the 
directors,  while  the  final  authority  is  in  the  general  meeting.  To  keep 
in  touch  with  all  the  members,  scattered  over  the  whole  country,  each 
town  or  district  having  ten  members  sends  one  delegate  to  the  annual 
meeting.  To  be  within  the  financial  reach  of  the  small  farmers,  the 
annual  fee  is  2  kroner  (53.6  cents).  The  officers  were  able  and  enthusi- 
astic men.  Such  was  the  organization  of  this  society,  the  first  of  its 
kind  not  only  in  Denmark  but  in  all  Europe. 

Pamphlets  sent  to  all  parts  of  the  land  stirred  up  a  lively  interest  in 
the  undertaking  by  calling  attention  to  the  neglect  in  which  the  indus- 
try found  itself,  and  its  importance  in  France  and  elsewhere.  It  would 
prove  an  important  source  of  income  to  all,  and  not  least  to  the  small 
farmers  and  tenants. 

From  small  beginnings  the  society  has  grown  in  numbers  and  impor- 
tance. The  membership  at  the  time  of  the  first  general  meeting  was 
600;  in  1891  there  were  2,373  members,  and  in  June,  1903,  3,456. 
The  standing  that  the  industry  enjoys  appears  from  the  fact  that  a 
baron  is  its  president  and  the  crown  prince  its  patron. 

The  following  table  shows  the  number  of  members  every  three  years 
from  1879  to  1903: 


1879  

1,351 

1894  

2,268 

1882      

2,600 

1897  

2,  900 

1885   

2,754 

1900  

3,124 

1888        

2,489 

1903  

3,  456 

1891  .  . 

.  2,373 

It  soon  became  evident  that  it  was  necessary  to  publish  a  periodical 
in  order  to  reach  all  the  members.     The  first  general  meeting,  March, 


12  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

1879,  agreed  to  this,  and  the  first  number  of  the  paper  appeared 
March  10  of  the  same  year.  Georg  Bricka  was  the  first  editor,  and 
he  continued  in  that  capacity  till  the  end  of  1901,  when  he  was  suc- 
ceeded by  Fr.  Hansen,  the  present  editor.  Georg  Bricka  was  a  great 
worker  and  a  man  of  extensive  information.  Besides  writing  at  times 
the  entire  issue  of  the  journal,  he  wrote  several  books  on  poultry 
breeding — one  of  them  the  largest  in  the  language.  He  was  a  mem- 
ber and  for  ten  years  president  of  the  parish  council,  teacher  in  the 
grammar  school  of  Fredericksborg,  musical  leader  in  his  town  of  Aar- 
hus,  and  judge  of  poultrj^  exhibits  and  prize  compositions.  He  con- 
tinued to  be  the  editor  till  the  end  of  1901,  when  he  died.  By  private 
subscriptions  the  societ}^  erected  a  monument  to  his  memory  the  follow- 
ing year.  A  man  of  his  energy  and  sound  character  was  sure  to  make 
a  lasting  impression  upon  the  society,  which  developed  on  broad  and 
sound  principles.  The  journal  is  free  to  the  members  of  the  society, 
but  the  outlay  in  maintaining  it  is  many  times  repaid  by  the  influence 
it  exerts  in  holding  the  members  together  and  in  furthering  the  cause 
it  represents.  "  For  many  members,"  as  the  president,  Baron  Rosen- 
krantz,  wrote  to  Bricka,  "  the  journal  is  the  society.  They  do  not 
join  or  withdraw  from  the  society,  but  subscribe  to  or  discontinue  the 
paper." 

This  new  industry  had  appeared  at  the  right  moment,  and  it  was 
only  necessary  to  find  some  means  of  spreading  information  in  order 
to  advance  the  cause.  They  had  to  hit  upon  the  right  kind  of  infor- 
mation and  how  to  spread  it  effectively  among  the  peasants.  At  first 
the  society  made  use  of  Bricka's  Brief  Guide,  but  in  1890  adopted 
Fenger's  Brief  Directions  in  Poultry  Breeding,  which  in  a  few  pages 
gives  the  fundamental  principles  of  practical  poultry  keeping. 

At  first  these  pamphlets  were  sent  to  school  teachers  for  distribu- 
tion, but  the  promoters  soon  satisfied  themselves  that  this  was  not  the 
best  method  and  abandoned  it.  Since  then  the  society  has  distributed 
over  60,000  copies  through  the  farmers'  credit  associations,  and  in 
more  expensive  bindings  as  prizes  to  those  who  drew  "blanks"  at  the 
exhibitions. 

Poultry  shows  should  not  be  underestimated.  Shows  are  as  impor- 
tant in  this  as  in  the  other  lines  of  animal  industry.  They  allow  the 
members  an  opportunity  to  compare  the  results  of  their  work,  and 
thereby  check  and  correct  excesses  and  give  a  health}^  direction  to  the 
industry.  Then  they  serve  as  excellent  places  of  exchange.  Finan- 
cially, they  have  usually  shown  a  deficit,  but  in  view  of  the  general 
benefit  done  by  them  the  society  has,  nevertheless,  given  twenty-eight 
shows  during  the  twenty-five  years  it  has  existed. 

The- first  exhibition  of  poultry  occurred  at  Aarhus  June  27  and  28, 
1878.  The  members  exhibited  213  birds.  Of  the  purebred  birds  the 
Spanish  were  best  represented.  About  4,000  people  visited  the  exhib- 


P.OULTRY    AND   EGGS   IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  13 

its.  It  has  been  encouraging  to  note  that  greater  interest  in  the  work 
has  always  manifested  itself  in  the  locality  where  an  exhibition  has 
been  held,  and  for  this  reason  they  hold  their  annual  exhibitions  first 
in  one  place  and  then  another.  They  have  been  held  in  twenty-one 
different  places  since  1879.  The  one  at  Odense  in  1900  exhibited  1,020 
birds,  but  the  largest  and  most  striking  was  the  quarter-centennial  at 
Aarhus  in  1903. 

When  this  poultry  society  came  into  existence  Danish  eggs  were 
small  and  held  in  low  esteem  in  the  British  market.  Many  farmers 
kept  back  their  product  waiting  for  better  prices,  and  the  English 
complained  that  as  soon  as  the  price  rose  every  case  from  Denmark 
contained  pickled  and  spoiled  eggs.  In  Denmark  a  score  of  small  eggs 
brought  as  much  as  so  mam7  large  ones,  and  it  was  too  much  to  expect 
the  farmers  to  make  any  sacrifice  without  a  corresponding  advantage. 
As  a  rule,  they  consumed  the  large  ones  and  sold  the  rest.  The  society 
worked  for  an  improvement  by  introducing  the  custom  of  buying  and 
selling  eggs  by  weight  and  not  by  number.  The  result  was  that  a 
dozen  large  ones  would  bring  a  higher  price,  both  on  account  of  their 
size  and  weight.  Although  the  English  still  handled  eggs  by  the 
dozen,  they  paid  more  for  large  ones.  In  1880  the  directors  entered 
into  negotiations  with  the  large  egg  dealers  with  the  end  in  view  of 
purchasing  eggs  by  weight.  These  favored  the  idea  and  were  willing 
to  make  a  change,  provided  other  dealers  would  do  the  same.  Under 
these  circumstances  progress  was  slow,  and  years  passed  before  the}7 
brought  about  the  present  condition  of  things,  which  is  that  the 
export  trade  isJby  weight.  How  far  the  Danes  were  in  advance  of  the 
rest  of  the  world  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  Berlin  authorities 
only  last  year  recommended  the  use  of  weight  in  the  egg  trade,  and 
some  great  nations  still  cling  to  the  antiquated  method  of  marketing 
eggs  by  the  dozen. 

In  order  to  bring  about  an  increase  in  the  size  of  the  eggs  it  was 
necessary  to  obtain  better  breeds  of  chickens,  but  no  one  knew  as  yet 
what  kinds  would  adapt  themselves  to  the  countiy.  To  ascertain  how 
they  would  thrive  they  distributed  in  1880  to  fifty  persons  in  different 
parts  of  the  country  six  hundred  sitting  eggs  of  purebred  chickens  on 
the  condition  that  the  recipients  should  report  on  the  experiment  in 
the  fall.  In  the  following  year  the}7  sent  out  more  eggs,  and  in  1883 
postal  cards  with  printed  forms  accompanied  the  eggs.  It  was  found 
impossible  in  many  cases  to  protect  the  eggs  during  transmission,  and, 
as  only  a  few  reports  were  made,  the  plan  was  abandoned  in  1885.  An 
attempt  to  distribute  pure  stock  proved  almost  equally  unsuccessful. 

The  society  had  abandoned  the  plan  of  maintaining  a  model  poul- 
try farm  in  1882  as  being  too  expensive;  but  now,  having  stopped 
the  distribution  of  eggs,  they  decided  to  distribute  purebred  chicks. 
As  in  the  case  of  eggs,  the  poorer  classes  had  the  preference,  and 


14 


BUKEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTEY. 


could  also  to  a  certain  extent  choose  the  breeds  they  desired.  The 
condition  was  that  they  report  the  results.  There  was  less  inconven- 
ience regarding  the  reports,  and  altogether  this  methed  proved  to 
be  the  most  satisfactory,  and  contributed  more  than  any  other  to 
improve  the  poultry  breeds  in  the  land.  As  many  complaints  were 
made  of  defects  in  the  fowls  sent  out,  the  society  decided  to  gather 
and  inspect  all  chicks  at  Aarhus  before  making  the  distribution.  This 
was  expensive,  but  necessary,  and  permitted  an  exchange  of  cockerels. 
At  first  the  society  sent  out  Italians  and  Minorcas  in  accordance 
with  a  plan  that  the  latter,  being  less  hardy,  were  distributed  over 
the  Islands  and  the  former  in  Jutland.  The  society  began  to  distrib- 
ute specimens  of  the  native  kind  in  1890,  and  has  since  experimented 
with  other  breeds.  They  distributed  annually  thirty-three  birds  at 
first,  but  since  1889  they  have  distributed  as  shown  in  the  following 
table: 

Distribution  of  poultry  in  Denmark,  1889  to  1902. 


Year. 

Young  pullets. 

•     Young  cockerels. 

Ital- 
ians. 

Minor- 
cas. 

Danish. 

Orping- 
tons 
and 
Lang- 
shans. 

Ply- 
mouth 
Rocks. 

Total. 

Ital- 
ians. 

Minor- 
cas. 

Danish. 

Orping- 
tons 
and 
Lang- 
shans. 

Ply- 
mouth 
Rocks. 

Total. 

1889 

17 
17 
20 
12 
17 
14 
17 
31 
9 
11 
11 
7 
13 
10 

6 
10 
1 
8 
8 
6 
8 
12 
10 
11 
10 
8 
4 
9 

23 
30 
26 
24 
25 
25 
30 
46 
25 

25 
22 
25 
25 

1890 

3 
5 
4 

1891 

1892 

1893 

1894 

5 
5 
3 
2 
3 
2 
3 

1895. 

• 

1896  

1897 

4 

7 
2 
3 
5 
3 
11 

3 

5 
4 

2 

12 
8 
8 
5 
9 
21 

1898 

1 

1899 

2 

1 

1900 

4 
8 
5 

1901 

3 

4 

1 
1 

2 
5 

1902. 

1 

The  native  poultry,  by  long  and  unsystematic  crossing,  had  degen- 
erated to  such  a  degree  that  many  despaired  of  finding  the  original 
stock.  "It  was  seldom  possible,"  we  read  in  a  poultry  journal  of 
1880,  "  to  find  the  Danish  breed  in  a  pure  state."  But  a  fe^y  isolated 
breeders  had  faith  in  the  breed  and  hoped  to  restore  it  by  careful 
selection.  It  possessed  the  advantage  of  being  hardy  and  contented 
and  perfectly  adapted  to  the  climatic  and  other  conditions  of  the 
country.  This  breed  is  a  fair  layer,  producing  eggs  the  size  of  those 
of  Wyandottes.  A  score  weighs  about  2.3  pounds.  The  cock  is  red 
and  black  and  the  hen  is  bun*  colored.  Societies  for  the  development 
of  this  breed  sprang  up  in  1888,  and  finally  in  1900  the  three  leading 
poultry  societies  agreed  upon  a  standard  whereby  it  could  be  recog- 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  15 

nized.  About  this  time  special  clubs  or  associations  were  formed  for 
the  purpose  of  improving  the  different  breeds  of  poultry — Italians, 
Minorcas,  Danish,  etc.  The  object  was  not  so  much  to  make  money 
as  to  bring  out  and  perfect  the  best  qualities  of  the  breed  and  thus 
ultimately  to  make  them  more  profitable  to  the  country. 

We  have  already  seen  that  a  lack  of  funds  prevented  the  society 
from  realizing  its  original  plan  of  maintaining  model  poultry  runs. 
Since  1893  experimental  stations  have  been  established — the  first  one 
at  Aarhus  for  the  native  Danish  breed  and  one  at  Copenhagen  for  the 
partridge-colored  Italians.  After  receiving  a  state  aid  of  6,000  kroner 
($1,608)  a  year,  the  society  has'maintained  six  more  stations— two  for 
White  Italians,  one  for  Plymouth  Rocks,  one  for  Wyandottes  and 
partridge-colored  Italians,  and  one  for  Minorcas.  The  society  has 
also  awarded  prizes  for  compositions  on, numerous  subjects.  This 
work  is  of  a  practical  nature  and  has  been  of  great  benefit  to  the 
country. 


GOVERNMENT. 


According  to  the  original  draft  of  the  constitution  in  1878,  the 
practical  management  of  affairs  was  in  the  hands  of  the  directors, 
while  the  final  authority  rested  with  the  general  meeting,  consisting 
of  representatives  assembling  annually.  The  meeting^  were  held  in 
different  places  each  3rear,  and  it  occurred  that  the  locality  where  the 
meeting  was  held  was  so  strongly  represented  that  the  resolutions 
hardly  failed  to  be  an  expression  of  the  local  rather  than  of  the  gen- 
eral sentiment.  Hoegh-Guldberg  had  called  attention  to  this  unfor- 
tunate condition  in  1880,  and  two  years  later  a  change  was  made. 
Henceforth  each  district  sent  two  delegates  to  the  meeting  of  depu- 
ties. These  in  turn  elected  a  president  for  three  years  and  four 
directors  for  two  years,  who  constituted  the  executive  committee. 
The  secretary-treasurer  may  be  chosen  outside  the  directorate.  Thus 
all  the  counties  were  equally  represented,  but  so  long  as  each  delegate 
had  to  pay  his  own  expenses  few  came  to  the  meetings;  in  1887  only 
14  appeared.  So  a  change  was  made  in  that  year.  Thirty -eight 
representatives — 2  from  each  county — replaced  the  former  delegates. 
One-half  of  the  delegates  retired  each  year.  They  had  the  choice  of 
their  own  successors  as  well  as  of  the  directorate,  which  now  con- 
sisted of  11  members — 5  from  Jutland,  2  from  Fyn,  3  from  Sjaelland 
and  Bornholm,  and  1  from  Lolland-Falster.  The  directors  chose  their 
own  officers  and  the  executive  committee.  Thus  outside  members  had 
no  influence.  From  being  entirely  democratic  in  the  beginning  the 
society  had  become  oligarchic  in  form.  That  this  continued  without 
opposition  for  ten  years  is  a  tribute  to  the  fairness  and  the  ability  of 
the  governing  body;  and  it  was  a  mark  of  the  confidence  of  the  mem- 
bers that  when  a  democratic  change  took  place  only  three  societies 
availed  themselves  of  the  privilege  of  sending  representatives  the  first 
year. 


16  BUEEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

Centralization  now  approached  the  danger  line,  and  it  was  the  part 
of  prudence  to  work  in  the  opposite  direction  and  develop  independent 
local  associations.  Fortunately,  in  1887,  the  poultry  society  of 
Hjorring  had  applied  for  admission  as  an  affiliated  society.  This  was 
a  fruitful  suggestion,  and  prompted  the  society  to  admit  others  of  that 
kind  and  to  encourage  the  formation  of  district  societies  and  other 
organizations  with  the  purpose  of  admitting  them  in  time  as  affiliated 
societies.  These  paid  no  fees,  but  simply  pledged  a  certain  number  of 
their  members  to  the  head  society  and  received  in  turn  a  correspond- 
ing number'  of  copies  of  the  society's  periodical  and  the  society's  aid 
in  organizing  exhibitions.  In  1897  it  was  agreed  that  the  counties 
should  each  henceforth  elect  two  representatives.  Finally,  in  1902,  a 
new  constitution  was  adopted  embodying  further  changes  in  this 
direction.  Accordingly  there  are  now  20  districts,  each  sending  2 
representatives — their  president  and  vice-president— to  the  general 
meeting.  The  meeting,  as  a  rule,  is  to  be  held  in  connection  with  the 
annual  exhibition  and  is  open  to  all  members,  but  only  representatives, 
directors,  and  honorary  members  can  vote.  The  directors  are  7  in 
number — 3  from  Jutland,  1  from  Fyn,  2  from  Sjaelland  and  Born- 
holm,  and  1  from  Lolland-Falster.  The  president,  vice-president,  and 
secretary  constitute  the  executive  committee. 

SOCIETY   FOR   THE   PROMOTION   OF  POULTRY   BREEDING. a 

Two  new  societies,  after  the  pattern  of  the  original  one,  sprang  up 
in  Copenhagen  in  1880  and  1882,  respectively.  This  was  unfortunate 
and  threatened  to  break  up  the  country  into  small  societies  (as  in 
Saxony,  where  100  societies  existed  at  this  time  without  any  central 
organization)  and  waste  its  energy  in  useless  rivalry.  Union  was 
especially  important  now  that  they  purposed  to  take  the  lead  in  this 
industry  and  distance  all  foreign  competition.  Consequently  the 
leaders  left  no  stone  unturned  in  order  to  live  in  harmony,  and  a  com- 
mittee of  two  from  each  society  undertook  to  see  that  they  should  not 
clash  at  any  point.  In  1889  the  two  Copenhagen  societies  combined, 
and  in  1891  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark  and  the 
Society  for  the  Promotion  of  Poultry  Breeding  (Copenhagen)  joined 
and  adopted  the  name  The  Danish  Poultry  Society,  with  headquarters 
at  Aarhus.  The  general  government  consisted  of  5  directors — 2  chosen 
by  the  Copenhagen  branch  and  3  by  the  Aarhus  branch.  One-third 
of  the  state  aid  was  to  go  to  the  general  government  and  the  remain- 
der to  the  two  societies,  in  proportion  to  their  membership.  The  one 
branch  should  not  hold  an  exhibit  in  the  country  nor  the  other  hold 
one  in  Copenhagen.  Now  all  interests  were  harmonized  and  the  work 
could  go  on  unhindered. 

rules,  see  Appendix  II,  p.  4?6, 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  17 

SOCIETY    FOR   PROFITABLE   POULTRY   BREEDING." 

Now  that  poultry  keeping  had  become  remunerative  a  new  tendency 
appeared.  People  began  to  consider  more  closely  the  profits  of  poul- 
try raising  and  to  look  upon  the  breeding  of  fancy  birds  as  a  separate 
branch  of  the  industry.  A  society  representing  this  tendency  came 
into  existence  in  1897  and  grew  so  rapidly  as  to  rival  the  older  societies 
in  membership.  The  name  of  this  society  is  Society  for  Profitable 
Poultry  Breeding.  The  real  leader  in  this  movement  was  J.  Pedersen- 
Bjergaard,  who  edits  the  Poultry  Yard,  the  paper  of  the  society. 
Attempts  to  combine  this  society  with  the  others  under  a  common 
government  have  so  far  proved  unsuccessful.  The  minister  of  agri- 
culture favors  a  union  among  all  the  societies,  in  the  hope  that  this 
will  best  subserve  the  general  welfare. 

In  1903  the  societies  had  the  following  membership:  Society  for 
Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark,  3,700;  Society  for  the  Promotion  of 
Poultry  Breeding,  2,000;  Society  for  Profitable  Poultry  Breeding, 
3,000;  total,  8,700. 

DANISH    COOPERATIVE   EGG   EXPORT   SOCIETY.6 

The  Cooperative  Egg  Export  Society  was  founded  at  Vejle,  in  Jut- 
land, in  1895,  but  has  since  1900  been  located  at  Copenhagen. 

The  real  purpose  of  this  society  is  to  market  the  products  of  the 
poultry  societies.  Its  work  commences  where  the  other  societies  leave 
off,  and  supplies  an  essential  link  necessary  to  complete  their  financial 
success.  It  works  in  harmony  with  them  and  attracts  the  same  mem- 
bership, although  it  is  an  independent  organization.  A  great  draw- 
back to  a  succesful  export  trade  had  been  the  fact  that  producers  as 
well  as  dealers  withheld  their  eggs  for  higher  prices,  and  that  in  conse- 
quence they  were  often  a  month  old  when  they  reached  England.  The 
grocers  and  dealers  themselves  were  the  first  to  see  the  need  of  a 
reform,  and  as  early  as  1890  attempted,  without  success,  to  form  an 
association  to  stop  this  practice.  In  order  to  hasten  the  transporta- 
tion of  eggs  one  of  the  poultry  societies  appealed  to  the  ministry  of 
the  interior  to  have  eggs  considered  perishable  goods,  but  this  was 
not  granted  till  1897. 

How  thorough  and  far-reaching  the  reforms  of  the  Danish  Coopera- 
tive Egg  Society  were  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  dealers  and 
grocers  strongly  opposed  the  new  organization,  as  it  went  far  beyond 
the  plans  contemplated  by  them,  but  the  rapid  growth  of  the  society 
and  the  success  of  the  enterprise,  satisfying  a  long-felt  need,  was 
strong  enough  to  overcome  all  opposition. 

According  to  the  most  recent  reports  there  are  altogether  some 

«  For  rules,  see  Appendix  III,  p.  478. 
6  For  rules,  see  Appendix  IV,  p.  479. 
7774— No.  65—04 2 


18  BUEEAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

33,500  members  distributed  among  475  local  societies  or  circuits.  The 
conduct  of  all  the  affairs  of  the  society  is  in  the  hands  of  a  council  of 
five  directors,  who  also,  on  the  basis  of  market  quotations,  fix  the 
price  of  eggs  paid  to  the  members.  Each  circuit  must  have  at  least 
ten  members.  The  general  meeting,  consisting  of  delegates  from  the 
circuits,  prescribes  a  series  of  uniform  by-laws  for  all  the  circuits, 
allowing  only  slight  deviations  to  be  made  by  the  circuits. 

The  circuit  pays  the  society  half  a  krone  (13.4  cents)  for  each  mem- 
ber and  one-half  of  all  the  fines  collected.  The  circuit  elects  a  local 
council  of  its  own,  hires  an  egg  collecter,  supplies  all  the  funds  neces- 
sary to  pay  for  the  eggs  and  for  defra}dng  the  expenses  till  the  eggs 
are  ready  for  shipment  from  the  circuit.  At  this  point  the  society 
takes  charge,  paying  the  expenses  till  the  eggs  are  on  board  the  ships 
for  foreign  export  and  deducting  the  costs  from  the  general  profits. 
At  the  close  of  the  financial  year,  after  settling  all  the  accounts,  the 
society  pays  one-half  of  the  profits  to  the  circuits  and  credits  the 
remainder  to  the  circuits.  This  sum  is  to  be  used  to  carry  on  the  work, 
and  can  be  paid  over  to  the  circuits  onty  at  the  final  dissolution  of  the 
society,  unless  in  the  judgment  of  the  directors  the  amount  exceeds 
the  requirements  of  the  business: 

The  government  of  the  circuit,  just  as  that  of  the  society  itself,  is  a 
directorate  consisting  of  an  uneven  number  of  members  and  elected 
by  the  circuit.  The  duty  of  the  directors  is  to  look  after  the  interests 
of  the  circuit,  and  to  see  that  the  eggs  are  delivered  promptly  and  in 
the  condition  required.  They  hire  the  egg  collector  and  the  other 
employees  of  the  circuit;  they  also  fix  the  daily  price  paid  for  eggs  by 
the  collector. 

Every  circuit  has  a  central  station  situated,  if  possible,  on  a  through 
railway  or  steamship  line  connected  with  one  of  the  shipping  stations 
of  the  society.  It  has  an  office  and  rooms  for  storing  and  packing  the 
eggs  delivered  by  the  members.  It  is  the  meeting  place  of  the  direct- 
ors and  members  of  the  circuit. 

Each  circuit  has  an  egg  collector  who  gives  satisfactory  bonds  for 
the  honest  discharge  of  his  work.  The  collector  goes  from  farm  to 
farm  on  stated  days  and  takes  the  eggs  to  the  station  in  the  evening. 
The  farmers  must  not  deliver  eggs  that  are  more  than  seven  days  old 
or  that  were  laid  before  the  last  collection  took  place.  The  eggs  must 
be  clean  and  be  stamped  with  the  number  of  the  member  who  fur- 
nishes them.  The  collector  refuses  dirty  eggs,  and  stamps  them  to 
prevent  their  being  washed  and  presented  a  second  time.  The  eggs 
are  bought  by  weight  regardless  of  their  size.  The  payment  is  in 
cash  and  at  a  price  fixed  b}^  the  directors  of  the  circuit. 

The  cost  of  collecting  the  eggs  is  very  low,  and  is  paid  by  the 
circuit,  while  the  remaining  expenses  are  borne  by  the  society  and 
deducted  from  the  payments  to  the  circuits.  The  collector  receives 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN   EUROPEAN   COUNTRIES.  19 

generally  1.6  cents  per  2.20  pounds  (6  Ore  per  kilogram)  which,  on  an 
average  of  16  eggs  to  the  kilogram,  amounts  to  1.2  cents  per  dozen. 
The  cost  of  transporting  the  eggs  from  the  stations  of  the  circuits  to 
the  steamer  is  on  the  average  2  ore  per  kilogram  (0.53  cent  per  2.20 
pounds)  or,  at  the  same  average  of  eggs  per  kilogram,  0.4  cent  per 
dozen.  The  total  expense,  then,  for  the  eggs  from  the  time  they  are 
taken  from  the  nests  till  they  are  placed  on  the  steamer  for  foreign 
countries  is  a  trifle  over  1£  cents  per  dozen. 

The  directors  of  the  circuits  pay  for  the  collecting  and  the  packing. 
The  cases  are  0.50  m.  wide  and  0.75  m.  long,  with  two  compartments, 
and  hold  about  500  eggs.  A  case  costs  $2  and  lasts  about  100  journeys. 
The  packers  place  a  layer  of  wood  wool  on  the  bottom  of  each  com- 
partment, and  on  this  a  cardboard  case  containing  50  eggs,  each  egg 
in  a  separate  cell.  Over  this  they  lay  another  pad  and  another  card- 
board case,  and  so  on,  until  there  are  five  tiers  of  eggs.  On  top  they 
place  a  heavier  pad  immediately  under  the  lid. 

The  collector  has  charge  of  the  stations  and  superintends  the  packing 
of  the  eggs.  It  is  important  for  the  successful  management  of  the 
business  that  he  be  a  man  who  is  trusted  and  well  known  in  the  com- 
munity. Another  one  of  his  duties  is  to  make  periodical  inspections 
of  the  nests  of  the  poultry  yards. 

The  society  has  nine  stations  where  the  eggs  are  packed  for  foreign 
export.  Copenhagen,  which  is  also  the  headquarters  of  the  society. 
and  Ringsted  are  on  the  island  of  Zealand,  Svendborg  and  Odense 
on  Fyn,  Rudkjobing  on  Langeland,  and  Aalborg,  Aarhus,  Vejle,  and 
Esbjerg  in  Jutland.  Five  of  these — Copenhagen,  Aalborg,  Aarhus, 
Vejle,  and  Esbjerg — are  also  ports  of  shipment.  Esbjerg,  situated  on 
the  west  coast  of  Jutland,  and  favorably  located  for  the  British  trade, 
is,  as  might  be  expected,  the  principal  port  of  shipment.  In  1902 
one-third  of  all  the  eggs  exported  passed  through  this  port.  All  the 
exports  from  Esbjerg  go  to  Great  Britain. 

On  their  arrival  the  cases  are  weighed  before  and  after  they  are 
emptied.  Women  generally  do  the  grading,  testing,  and  packing.  In 
grading  they  work  behind  long  tables  on  which  are  six  trays,  or  wooden 
frames,  one  tray  for  each  size  or  grade.  The  frame,  or  tray,  holds  60 
or  120  eggs,  and  has  a  hole  for  each  egg.  Practice  makes  the  sorters 
very  expert.  As  a  rule,  they  see  at  a  glance  to  what  grade  an  egg 
belongs,  and  by  long  practice  they  become  so  skillful  that  they  can 
grade  120  eggs  without  being  an  ounce  out  of  the  way.  As  the  trays 
are  tilled  a  man  removes  and  weighs  them.  When  a  tray  weighs  too 
much  or  too  little  for  its  grade,  large  eggs  are  replaced  by  small  ones, 
or  vice  versa,  till  the  correct  weight  is  obtained.  Thereupon  they  are 
taken  into  a  dark  room  to  be  tested. 

The  testing  apparatus  is  a  box,  8  by  30  inches  at  the  bottom,  2  feet 
high,  and  widening  upward.  It  is  lined  with  mirrors,  and  has  four 


20 


BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 


16-candle  electric  lights  at  equal  distances  along  the  bottom.  The  tray 
with  the  eggs,  thick  ends  down,  fits  on  top.  While  the  bad  eggs 
appear  dark  and  cloudy,  the  light  shines  through  the  sound  ones, 
giving  them  a  clear  pink  color.  The  dark  or  suspicious  eggs  the 
tester  breaks,  but  if  they  are  found  upon  breaking  to  be  sound,  the 
person  who  supplied  them  is  paid  in  full;  otherwise  he  is  fined  accord- 
ing to  the  rules  of  the  society.  The  packing  stations  are  so  well 
equipped  for  determining  the  freshness  of  the  eggs  and  the  system 
works  so  well  that  even  attempts  at  fraud  are  rare. 

Now  it  remains  to  stamp  them  with  the  trade-mark  of  the  society 
and  to  pack  them  for  export.  The  boxes  used  for  this  purpose  are 
about  20  by  79  inches  and  9  inches  deep,  made  of  light  pine  wood,  and 
hold  1,440  eggs.  They  are  nonreturnable.  First  the  packers  spread 
on  the  bottom  a  layer  of  long,  clean  rye  straw.  On  this  they  pack  a 
layer  of  eggs  snugly  together  without  anything  between  them.  Over 
these  is  placed  another  layer  of  rye  straw,  then  another  layer  of  eggs, 
and  so  on  until  there  are  four  layers  of  eggs,  and  then  one  substantial 
layer  of  straw  on  top.  Then  the  lid  is  nailed  down,  and  the  trade- 
mark of  the  society,  the  grade,  weight,  and  number  of  the  eggs  con- 
tained are  affixed.  The  method  of  packing  does  not  appear  to  be 
altogether  uniform.  Many  stations  use  wood  wool  instead  of  straw. 

After  a  consignment  has  been  thoroughly  examined,  the  officers  of 
the  society  remit  to  the  circuit  a  numbered  receipt  stating  the  current 
price  per  pound,  the  number  and  the  weight  of  the  eggs,  as  well  as 
the  number  of.  spoiled  or  suspicious  eggs. 

Most  of  the  Danish  eggs  go  to  England,  and,  as  a  rule,  the  eggs 
reach  London  in  forty  to  fifty  hours.  The  large  English  firms  have 
agents  in  Denmark  who  generally  buy  the  eggs  free  on  board  the 
ship.  English  dealers  deduct  60  eggs  per  case  for  breakage. 

The  table  below  gives  the  price  per  great  hundred  (120  eggs)  in  Lon- 
don at  four  seasons  of  the  year — the  22d  of  March,  June,  September, 
and  December — or,  where  no  quotation  is  given  for  this,  the  date  the 
nearest  before  or  after. 

Prices  of  firnt-cla.w  Danish  circuit  eggs  on  the  London  market,  1900  to  1903. 
[Per  great  hundred=120  eggs.] 


Year. 

Extra  large. 

Large. 

Small. 

1900. 
March  19  

$1.82  to  $1.96 
1.95  2.07 
2.  19  2.  43 
3.  62  3.  74 

1.70  1.82 
2.  01  2.  07 
2.  19  2.  31 
3.  41  3.  53 

81.  70  to  81.  76 
1.76  1.82 
2.  19  2.  25 
3.  41  3.  53 

1.18  1.70 
1.82  1.88 
2.  07  2.  13 
3.  22  3.  28 

SI.  18 

1.40 
2.01 
2.98 

to  81.  24 
1.12 
2.06 
3.16 

June  19  

September  24  

December  24  

1901. 
March  23  

June  24  

1.18 
1.82 
2.80 

1.24 
1.95 
2.98 

September  23  

December  23... 

POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  21 

Prices  of  first-class  Danish  circuit  eggs  on  the  London  market,  1900  to  1903 — Continued. 


Year. 


Extra  large. 


Large. 


Small. 


1902. 


March  21 

June  23 

September  22 . 
December  22. 


81.70  to  81.82 
1.88  1.95 
2. 19  2. 43 
2. 47  3. 62 


$1. 58  to  $1. 64 
1.70  1.82 
2. 19  2. 25 
3.28  3.41 


$1.12  to  81.24 
1.95  2.07 
2. 80  2. 92 


March20 1.70  1.76  1.18  1.24 

June22 2.01  2.07  1.82  1.95         1.24          1.70 

September 

December21 3.40  3.52  3.16  3.28        2.79         3.03 

COMPARATIVE    MARKET   PRICES   OF   EGGS   IN    LONDON. 

[Per  great  hundred =120  eggs.] 

On  March  19,  1903. 

French $1.58  to  $2.31 

Italian ^ 1.52          1.82 

Hungarian 1.34          1.45 

On  June  22,  1903. 

French,  extra $2.43  to  $2.55 

French,  choice 2.25          2.31 

French,  ordinary 2. 06          2. 19 

Danish,  18  pounds 2.06 

17  pounds 1.  94 

16  pounds 1.76 

15  pounds 1.64 

14  pounds 1.51 

Italian,  extra 1.  94          2. 06 

Italian,  choice 1.64          1.  70 

Italian,  ordinary 1.45          1.57 

Hungarian 1.15          1.51 

Russian 1.03          1.45 

On  September  19,  1903. 

French $2.  00  to  $2.  91 

Italian 1.94          2.43 

Hungarian 1.  34          1. 94 

Russian 1.39          1.82 

On  December  19,  1903. 

French $3.  03  to  $3.  65 

Italian 2.67  3.22 

Hungarian 1 .  76  2.  43 

Russian 1.70  2.36 

OTHER   EGG    SOCIETIES. 

There  are  two  small  societies  exporting  eggs — one  at  Nysted,  with  a 
membership  of  700,  and  another  at  Gaverslund,  with  a  membership  of 
300.  Besides  these,  five  bacon  factories  have  egg-packing  centers  and 


22  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

a  total  annual  export  of  6,000,000  pounds  of  eggs,  valued  at  $670,000, 
among  which  are:  At  Kalundborg,  750,000  pounds;  Slagelse,  700,000 
pounds;  Esbjerg,  2,200,000  pounds.  The  Danish  Cooperative  Butter 
Factory  also  deals  in  eggs. 

GREAT  BRITAIN. 

NUMBERS   OF   POULTRY. 

The  "Agricultural  Returns"  have  not  included  statistics  on  poultry 
since  1885,  and  in  consequence  of  this  omission  much  definite  informa- 
tion on  this  subject  is  now  lacking.  Persons,  however,  familiar  with 
this  industry  have  made  estimates  which  may  be  more  or  less  correct, 
but  which  can  not  take  the  place  of  official  figures.  The  following 
are  the  last  available  figures  for  Great  Britain: 

Numbers  of  poultry  in  Great  Britain,  1884  and  1885. 


Kinds  of  fowls,  « 

1884. 

1885. 

Turkeys  .                                   ..                                             ... 

500,770 

474  583 

Geese  ..                                                        .                

888  313 

885  310 

Ducks  

2,  368,  390 

2,201,601 

Chickens  

12,  303,  539 

12,401  533 

Total  . 

16,061,012 

15  963,027 

a  The  numbers  are  exclusive  of  those  kept  in  towns  and  by  cottagers  with  less  than  a  quarter  of  an 
acre  of  land. 

The  numbers  of  the  different  kinds  of  poultry  for  England  alone  in 
1885  is  shown  below: 

Turkeys 356,485 

Geese 615,724 

Ducks 1,736,788 

Chickens 9, 556, 053 

WHY    EGG   PRODUCTION   HAS   DECREASED. 

The  decline  of  British  agriculture  in  the  last  century  no  doubt 
arrested  the  development  of  the  poultry  industry  also.  We  may  to 
some  extent  attribute  the  backward  condition  of  this  industry  in 
Great  Britain  to  the  lack  of  a  numerous  class  of  small  farmers  devoted 
to  intensive  cultivation.  The  small  holdings  in  P^ngland  are  compara- 
tively few.  Most  of  the  agricultural  land  is  in  farms  of  from  100  to 
over  1,000  acres  and  this  reduces  the  number  of  poultry  runs.  With 
the  high  price  of  land  and  grain  the  English  could  hardly  expect  to 
vie  with  foreign  countries  in  the  production  of  ordinary  eggs.  But 
their  nearness  to  the  great  markets  gives  them  an  advantage  in  the 
sale  of  new-laid  eggs — the  line  that  i.s  most  profitable  and  in  which  the 
French  alone  could  seriously  compete.  For  this  reason  the  improve- 
ment in  the  British  poultry  industry  directly  affects  the  French  trade, 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


23 


as  appears  from  the  fact  that  the  French  trade  has  declined  as  the 
English  has  developed.  With  a  perfect  system  of  collecting,  packing, 
and  shipping  eggs — such,  for  example,  as  the  Danes  follow — the  trade 
in  new-laid  eggs  should  be  profitable.  Better  rates  also  could  be 
obtained  from  the  railway  companies.  Now  the  English  complain  that 
foreigners  enjoy  cheaper  rates  than  localities  through  which  this  trade 
passes  can  obtain. 

IMPORTATION    OF   EGGS. 

The  most  striking  feature  in  connection  with  this  industry  in  Eng- 
land is  the  enormous  importation  from  abroad.  Already  in  the 
"fifties,"  when  the  annual  imports  did  not  yet  exceed  one  million 
great  hundreds,  writers  on  this  subject  became  alarmed  and  attempted 
to  call  the  attention  of  the  English  to  the  growing  importance  of  the 
egg  trade.  They  expressed  the  hope  that  the  reviving  industry  at 
home  would  soon  supplant  the  foreign  imports.  After  fifty  years 
have  passed,  however,  the  imports  have  increased  twentyfold  and  the 
revival  has  only  begun. 

It  is  a  long  time  since  England  ceased  to  supply  her  own  demand  in 
poultry  and  eggs.  As  imported  eggs  could  be  bought  more  cheaply 
than  they  could  be  produced,  the  industry  did  not  receive  the  attention 
it  deserved.  With  the  decline  of  agriculture  in  England  and  the 
growth  of  large  cities  and  manufacturing  centers,  the  imports  have 
.steadily  increased.  The  table  below  shows  the  increase  in  number  and 
value  since  1871.  The  latter  has  increased  fivefold  and  the  former 
nearly  sixfold  in  these  years.  With  the  growth  of  imports  the  aver- 
age price  per  dozen  has  fallen  from  18.4  cents  to  16.2  cents. 

Imports  of  eggs  into  the  United  Kingdom,  1871  to  1903. 


Year. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Year. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1871  

Dozens. 
33,  372,  750 

Dollars. 
6,  149,3ftX 

1888  

Dozens. 
93,  899,  390 

Dollar*. 
15,004,332 

1872  

44,299,310 

8,  576,  693 

1889  

94,325,030 

15,  220,  426 

1873 

56  039,  500 

11,480,181 

1890 

102,  912,  460 

16,686,284 

1874... 

56,  712,  269 

11,840,847 

1891  

106,283,140 

17,059,622 

1875  

61,768,630 

12,  457,  559 

1892  

111,394,190 

18,  466,  995 

1876  

62,  752,  170 

12,752,157 

1893  

110,459,860 

18,860,836 

1877., 

62  598  800 

12  036  689 

1894 

118  769  680 

18,426  170 

1878  

65,  309,  560 

12,220,24'J 

1895  

127,225,860 

19,  482,  770 

1879  

63,  892,  320 

11,172,121 

1896  

132,450.011 

20,364,628 

1880 

62  284  050 

10,878  822 

1897 

140,317,540 

21,202,401 

1881.                

63,  059,  930 

11,301,911 

1898  

144,246,010 

21,690,560 

1882 

67  660  200 

11  607  872 

1899 

161,747  560 

24,548,582 

1883 

78,  369,  680 

13,295  546 

1900 

168,820,780 

26,  308,  406 

1884 

82,  800,  073 

14,163,914 

1901          

170,717,767 

26,745,150 

1885  

83,  565,  680 

14,264,865 

1902  

189,667,9.r>0 

30,  702,  575 

1886 

86,264  280 

14  055  293 

1903 

198,488,940 

32,  204,  545 

1887.                       

90,  840,  770 

15,016.467 

24 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


POULTRY    SOCIETIES. 


In  recent  years  the  English  have  begun  to  organize  poultry  societies 
according  to  the  Danish  system.  The  National  Poultry  Organization 
Society  came  into  existence  in  1898  for  the  purpose  of  encouraging 
the  poultry  industry  in  the  country  and  of  establishing  a  system  more 
in  accordance  with  the  requirements  of  modern  conditions.  The  soci- 
ety has  issued  a  series  of  leaflets  to  disseminate  information  about 
poultry  and  to  give  advice  regarding  the  choice  of  breeds,  the  forma- 
tion of  branches  and  collecting  depots,  the  methods  of  rearing,  and 
marketing  the  produce.  In  May,  1903,  there  were  in  England  eight 
branches  and  twenty-four  collecting  depots,  with  a  membership  of 
2,217.  At  that  time  there  was  but  one  branch  in  Scotland  and  none 
in  Wales. 

PER   CAPITA   CONSUMPTION. 

The  Agricultural  Statistics  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture  for  1902 
prints  a  table  giving  the  per  capita  consumption  of  imported  eggs  in 
the  United  Kingdom  from  1882  to  1902,  which  is  reproduced  here. 
According  to  this  the  per  capita  consumption  has  more  than  doubled 
in  the  last  twenty  years.  As  Ireland  is  not  an  importer  of  foreign 
eggs,  it  should  not  be  included  in  this  table,  and  this  would  raise  the 
per  capita  consumption  for  the  rest  of  the  Kingdom. 

Per  capita  consumption  of  imported  eggs  in  the  United  Kingdom,  1882  to  1902. 


Year. 

1882 

Number. 
23 

Year. 
1889  

Number. 
30 

Year. 
1896  

Number. 
40 

1883 

.  27 

1890...  . 

...  33 

1897 

42 

1884 

28 

1891  

34 

1898.  ..  . 

...  .      43 

1885 

28 

1892  

35 

1899  

48 

1886 

29 

1893 

34 

1900  .  . 

49 

1887 

30 

1894  

37 

1901  

49 

1888.. 

.  31 

1895.. 

.  39 

1902  .  . 

.  54 

IMPORTS   OF   POULTRY. 

A  glance  at  the  census  of  1885  shows  that  the  stock  of  poultry  in 
Great  Britain  can  not  feed  the  large  population  of  the  Kingdom;  nor 
does  the  small  surplus  from  Ireland  suffice  for  this  purpose.  The  im- 
ports into  Great  Britain  have  increased  year  by  year — from  $1,712,463 
in  1886  to  $5,850,934  in  1903.  The  largest  imports  before  1899  came,  in 
order  of  importance,  from  France,  Belgium,  Russia,  and  Holland,  and 
since  that  time  from  France,  Belgium,  Russia,  and  the  United  States. 
The  imports  from  France  have  been  large  and  steady,  valued  at 
$989,870  in  1886  and  $1,241,699  in  1903.  Except  for  the  last  year 
these  are  the  largest  from  any  single  country.  The  exports  from 
Belgium  are  in  part  reexports  from  Italy  and  elsewhere.  Russian 
exports  to  Great  Britain  have  gradually  grown  from  $88,891  in  1896 
to  $1,577,169  in  1903,  when  they  surpassed  those  of  any  other  country. 


POULTRY    AND   EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  25 

In  the  last  four  years  the  imports  of  poultry  from  the  United  States 
have  figured  largely,  rising  from  $756,741  in  1900  to  $1,139,087  last 
year. 

Values  of  poultry  and  game  imported  into  the  United  Kingdom,  1886  to  1903. 

1886 $1,712,463 

1887 ,.  1,995,722 

1888 1,963,812 

1889 2,302,794 

1890 2,422,821 

1891 2,223,888 

1892 2,839,262 

1893 2,817,504 

1894 2,340,222 

1895 1 2,945,011 

1896 3,433,209 

1897 3,556,073 

1898 3,102,355 

1899 3,821,633 

1900 4,915,961 

1901 4,772,854 

1902 5,153,837 

1903 5,850,934 

IRELAND. 

WORK   OF   THE    CONGESTED    DISTRICTS   BOARD. 

Ireland  is  a  grain-producing  country  and  seems  always  to  have  had 
a  considerable  number  of  poultry.  From  the  annual  census  taken  by 
the  Royal  Irish  Constabulary  and  Metropolitan  Police,  it  appears  that 
the  number  of  poultry  has  grown  from  11,159,002  in  1870  to  15,276,128 
in  1891  and  to  18,153,714  in  1903.  But  an  important  change,  which 
does  not  appear  from  these  figures,  is  that  the  quality  has  been 
improved;  that  well-nigh  the  entire  stock  of  poultry,  which  was  not 
very  productive,  has  been  replaced  by  better  breeds.  This  silent 
transformation  has  been  brought  about  mainly  by  two  organizations. 
Of  course,  in  Ireland  as  in  other  countries,  the  individual  poultry 
breeders  have  often  done  good  work  and  thus  contributed  to  the  gen- 
eral progress,  but  an  enumeration  of  these  would  lead  us  into  greater 
detail  than  is  the  purpose  of  this  article. 

Passing  by  these  individual  poultry  breeders,  the  organization  that 
first  entered  the  field  was  the  "Congested  Districts  Board  "  appointed 
in  1891  to  continue  for  twenty  years  and  thereafter  until  Parliament 
shall  otherwise  determine.  The  board  was  to  consist  of  ten  members 
and  its  object  was  to  improve  the  congested  districts,  which  were 
defined  as  follows: 

Where  at  the  commencement  of  this  act  more  than  20  per  cent  of  the  population 
of  a  county  live  in  electoral  divisions  whose  total  ratable  value  divided  by  the  num- 
ber of  the  population  gives  a  sum  of  less  than  £1  10s.  for  each  individual,  those  divi- 
sions shall  form  a  separate  county  known  as  "  congested  districts  county." 


26 


BUKEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

Numbers  of  poultry  in  Ireland  for  a  series  of  years. 


Year. 

Chickens. 

Turkeys. 

Geese. 

Ducks. 

Total.a 

1871  

11  717  182 

1872  

11  737  5^ 

1873  

11  863,155 

1874  

12,  068,  375 

1875                                       



12  139  138 

1876                        .                

13  618  500 

1877  ...                                  



13  566  083 

1878              

13  711  174 

1879  

13  782  835 

1880  

13  430  182 

1881  

13,  972,  426 

1882  b 

13  998  651 

1889  

14,85P,517 

1890  

15,  408,  428 

1891  

9,  289,  925 

932,  569 

2,  117,  295 

2,  876,  754 

15,  276,  128 

1892 

9  422  946 

950  674 

2  115,828 

2  846  133 

15  335  749 

1893  

9,  978,  278 

1,031,928 

2,  177,  227 

2,  909,  252 

16,  097,  461 

1894  

10,  248,  280 

1,011,591 

2,  082,  005 

2,  838,  071 

16,  180,  601 

1895 

10  515  291 

1,001,818 

2,026,343 

2,827  044 

16  369  525 

1896 

11,339  813 

1,090  539 

2,  142,  186 

2  973  233 

•    17  537  570 

1897 

11,654  561 

1,070,705 

2,  022,  725 

2  948,969 

17  777,248 

1898  

11,  641,  561 

1,070,705 

2,  022,  725 

2,  948,  969 

17  683,960 

1899  

12,  086,  584 

1,120,464 

2,011,286 

3,014,607 

18  233,520 

1900.                ... 

12,  403,  743 

1,108,632 

2,007,673 

3,  027,  040 

18,  547,  307 

1901...                         

12,  679,  913 

1,124,795 

1,962,161 

3,  040,  897 

18,810,717 

1902  

12,681,227 

1,038,472 

1,836,195 

2,  947,  813 

18,  504,  324 

1903  

12,  529,  473 

959,  787 

1,  768,  613 

2,  895,  b41 

18,  153,  714 

a  The  totals  in  this  table  do  not  always  agree  exactly  with  the  sum  of  the  other  columns,  as  they 
are  later  and  revised  figures. 
*>Does  not  include  the  poultry  of  counties  Clare  and  Limerick. 

In  the  first  report  of  the  board  submitted  in  1892  eighty-four  con- 
gested districts  are  given,  covering  an  area  of  3,608,569  acres  and 
including  a  population  of  549,516.  Roughly  speaking,  these  districts 
are  situated  in  the  northwestern,  western,  and  southwestern  parts  of 
the  island,  including  the  counties  of  Donegal,  Leitrim,  Sligo,  Roscom- 
mon,  Mayo,  Galway,  Clare,  Kerry,  and  Cork.  Parliament  placed  the 
income  from  certain  sums  of  money  at  the  disposal  of  the  board  and 
empowered  it  to  take  such  steps  as  it  thought  proper  for  improving  the 
congested  districts  in  connection  with  agriculture,  forestry,  live  stock, 
poultry,  etc.  As  practically  all  the  inhabitants  of  congested  districts 
in  Ireland  are  in  possession  of  small  plots  of  ground,  the  development 
of  agriculture  and  the  improvement  of  live  stock  and  poultry  are  of 
primary  importance.  We  shall  deal  only  with  the  last  subject — an 
industry,  perhaps,  which  more  than  any  other  affected  the  poorest 
class  of  "occupiers."  The  intention  of  the  board  is  not  so  much  to 
provide  relief  work  as  permanently  and  materially  to  develop  the 
trade  and  industries  of  the  localities  where  it  operates;  and  it  was  rec- 
ognized that  iii  point  of  importance  the  poultry  industry  comes  next 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN"    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  27 

only  to  the  dairying  industry,  and  that  as  an  industry  for  small  farm- 
ers or  cottagers  it  is  second  to  no  other. 

EFFORTS   TO    IMPROVE   THE    BREEDS   OF    POULTRY. 

The  board  soon  found  that  the  poultry  was  of  inferior  breeds  and 
they  set  about  an  improvement.  As  the  income  at  the  disposal  of  the 
board,  if  divided  among  the  families  in  question,  would  have  amounted 
to  only  a  few  shillings  each,  it  seemed  that  some  plan  should  be 
devised  which  would  afford  instruction  and  opportunities  rather  than 
money  for  those  who  were  willing  to  struggle  to  improve  their  condi- 
tion. Working  under  new  conditions,  it  was  not  an  easy  matter  to 
hit  upon  the  best  plan  at  the  start. 

Early  in  1892  the  board  began  to  distribute  purebred  cockerels  to 
the  cottagers  in  exchange  for  their  male  birds.  During  the  first  year 
581  cockerels  of  the  Langshan,  Black  Minorca,  White  Leghorn,  and 
Plymouth  Rock  breeds  were  bought  and  distributed.  The  attempt 
was  made,  so  far  as  practicable,  to  confine  one  breed  to  each  district. 
The  Black  Minorcas  and  Plymouth  Rocks  showed  the  best  results,  so 
these  breeds  only  were  sent  out  the  following  year. 

The  board  tried  to  show  the  country  folk  the  benefit  of  keeping 
good  breeds  of  laying  and  table  poultry,  but  unfortunately,  as  in  the 
case  of  cattle  and  horses,  the  practice  of  the  people  too  generally  was 
to  send  all  the  good  birds  to  market,  keeping  none  for  breeding  pur- 
poses. They  did  not  at  first  see  the  value  of  the  new  and  imported 
breeds,  for,  neglected  and  left  to  themselves,  these  breeds  often  failed 
to  thrive  or  even  to  do  as  well  as  the  old  Irish  hen.  Disease  broke  out 
among  them  and  many  died  when  they  came  into  the  hands  of  people 
who  did  not  know  how  to  take  care  of  the  more  highly  cultivated 
breeds. 

In  1893  the  board  employed  an  expert  to  select  and  buy  the  breeds 
suited  to  the  different  localities,  so  that  the  1,200  cockerels  and  pul- 
lets distributed  this  year  fared  somewhat  better.  In  places  where  dis- 
ease ravaged  severely,  the  Indian  Runner  duck,  as  being  better  suited 
to  the  localities  than  chickens,  was  introduced  in  great  numbers;  they 
proved  more  prolific  layers  than  the  chickens  and  continued  free  from 
the  disease. 

As  the  plan  of  distributing  birds  proved  rather  expensive  and  not 
altogether  successful,  the  board  in  1893  adopted  the  plan  of  exchang- 
ing the  eggs  of  purebred  chickens  for  those  of  the  common  kinds, 
paying  the  distributor  Id.  for  each  egg  he  exchanged.  As  centers  of 
distribution,  one  or  two  farmers  in  a  district  obtained  from  the  board 
from  20  to  30  pullets  and  a  suitable  number  of  cocks  on  condition  that 
they  exchange  the  eggs  of  the  purebred  fowls  for  an  equal  number  of 
the  common  kind  during  the  months  of  February,  March,  April,  and 
May.  As  compensation,  they  received  from  the  board  Id.  for  each 


28  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

egg  so  given  out.  In  1901  the  board  reduced  the  compensation  to  a 
half-penny  per  egg;  and  in  case  of  poultry  farms  to  be  established  in 
the  future  it  allowed  the  farmers  to  exchange  the  eggs  of  purebred 
chickens  at  their  full  value  in  common  eggs  or  to  sell  them  at  a  rate 
not  to  exceed  a  maximum  price  fixed  by  the  board.  If  they  complied 
with  the  conditions  of  the  management  they  received  in  addition  each 
year  a  cash  bonus. 

These  farms  gradually  increased  in  number — from  7  in  1892  to  30 
in  1895,  65  in  1898,  and  107  in  1901 — and  the  number  of  eggs  exchanged 
rose  from  some  50,000  during  the  sitting  season,  about  1897,  to  130,535 
in  1901. 

Some  of  the  farms,  however,  engaged  partly  or  altogether  in  raising 
ducks  to  suppty  damp  and  exposed  places  where  the  imported  breeds 
of  chickens  were  not  hardy  enough.  Thus,  in  1891,  53  farms  distrib- 
uted eggs  of  fowls  and  ducks,  17  distributed  eggs  of  fowls  only,  and 
37  of  ducks  only.  From  June,  1896,  down  to  the  present  time  the 
board  has  employed  an  expert  to  visit  the  farms  at  regular  intervals 
and  superintend  all  the  operations  connected  with  this  industry.  It  is 
worthy  of  note  that  this  expert  was  a  lady.  The  sisters,  also,  in  sev- 
eral convents  became  interested  and  eagerly  took  up  the  work  of  teach- 
ing the  peasantry  better  methods  of  poultry  raising. 

ESTABLISHMENT  OF   PLANT    FOR   FATTENING    POULTRY. 

In  1897  the  board  established  at  Carrigart,  County  Donegal,  a  plant 
for  fattening  poultry.  It  was  not  successful  at  first  and  soon  closed 
on  account  of  unsatisfactory  management,  but  afterwards  under  expert 
guidance  it  proved  useful  and  even  showed  a  handsome  annual  profit. 
Although  its  principal  business  was  to  buy  poultry  from  the  neigh- 
boring farmers  and  cottagers,  and  to  fatten  and  export  it  to  Scotland 
and  England,  it  also  distributed  eggs  in  the  neighborhood.  Thus  in 
1899  and  1900  the  plant  marketed  8,274  fowls,  218  ducks,  186  geese, 
192  turkeys,  and  distributed  3,000  eggs  of  purebred  poultry. 

Although  much  of  this  work  lacked  the  thoroughness  and  system  it 
afterwards  acquired  under  the  cooperative  societies,  it  contributed  its 
share  to  the  final  success  of  the  poultry  industry  in  Ireland. 

COOPERATION    ESTABLISHED. 

The  second  impetus  to  the  poultry  development  in  Ireland  came  from 
the  cooperative  movement.  This  may  be  said  to  have  had  its  begin- 
ning at  the  Congress  at  Glasgow,  when  the  Cooperative  Union  of 
Great  Britain  decided  to  spend  a  sum  of  money  to  promote  coopera- 
tion in  Ireland.  This  union  sent  an  agent  to  Munster  to  organize 
cooperative  dairy  societies  in  order  that  they  might  serve  as  a  prac- 
tical illustration  of  the  benefits  of  cooperation.  The  experiment  was 
so  successful  that  as  early  as  1893  there  were  thirty  cooperative  dairy 
societies. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  29 

THE   IRISH   AGRICULTURAL,   ORGANIZATION    SOCIETY. 

In  the  following  year  the  Irish  Agricultural  Organization  Society 
was  formed  with  the  general  object  of  promoting  agricultural  organi- 
zations for  any  purpose  that  might  seem  beneficial,  and  to  counsel  and 
advise  those  engaged  in  agricultural  pursuits.  Men  of  all  creeds  and 
parties  joined  and  undertook  to  supply  funds  for  a  five  years'  experi- 
ment. The  society  rapidly  grew  in  public  favor  and  has  been  the 
means  of  bringing  man}*-  advantages  within  the  reach  of  the  poorer 
members  of  the  rural  community.  Its  popularity  was  such  that  when 
the  first  term  expired  it  was  voted  to  continue  the  work  for  another 
five  years,  and  it  sends  out  special  experts  to  organize  the  several  kinds 
of  societies — dairy,  agricultural,  rural  banks,  home  industries,  poultry, 
bee  keepers,  etc. 

Besides  carrying  on  the  work  of  practical  organization,  the  society 
prints  and  sends  out  numerous  leaflets,  and  publishes  a  weekty  paper 
and  an  annual  report. 

The  funds  necessary  for  doing  this  work  for  Ireland's  rural  indus- 
tries have  come  from  the  annual  fees  and  direct  contributions  of  the 
affiliated  societies  and  from  subscriptions  and  donations  of  wealthy 
friends  of  the  movement  on  both  sides  of  the  Atlantic.  The  sum  of 
about  $150,000  that  has  been  expended  by  the  society  in  the  last  seven 
years  is  estimated  to  have  resulted  in  an  added  gain  of  about  $5,000,000 
to  the  industry  of  the  associated  farmers, a  besides  developing  the  ener- 
gies and  business  capacity  of  the  people.  Not  the  least  of  the  benefits 
arising  from  cooperation  was  the  improvement  of  the  Irish  them- 
selves; they  learned  to  work  together  and  exchange  ideas  among 
themselves;  they  discussed  and  familiarized  themselves  with  business 
and  agricultural  methods,  and  in  this  way  became  better  farmers,  bet- 
ter business  men,  and  better  citizens.  While  the  politicians  declaimed 
against  landlordism  and  saw  the  salvation  of  the  country  in  political 
measures  only,  the  friends  of  cooperation  showed  that  the  aboli- 
tion of  rents  could  not  make  their  farms  more  productive  nor  raise  the 
price  of  their  produce.  Foreign  competition  has  rendered  the  position 
of  Ireland  precarious  even  in  the  home  markets.  Modern  principles 
had  revolutionized  the  methods  of  production  elsewhere,  but  the  Irish 
remained  stationary  and  clung  to  antiquated  ways.  The  only  thing  to 
do  was  to  adopt  up-to-date  methods  and  try  to  regain  their  lost 
advantages.  Their  attention  was  called  to  the  remarkably  prosperous 
condition  of  Denmark,  where  cooperation  had  had  full  scope.  Their 
proximity  to  the  great  markets  should  inspire  the  Irish  with  hope  of 
even  greater  success  than  the  Danes  enjoyed. 

a  Annual  report,  Irish  Agricultural  Organization  Society,  1902,  Appendix  III. 


30 


BUKEAU    OF   ANIMAL   INDUSTEY. 


ESTABLISHMENT   AND   GROWTH    OF    POULTRY    SOCIETIES. 

Soon  other  forms  of  cooperation  were  taken  up,  and  in  1898  the 
first  cooperative  poultry  societies  were  organized,  and  several  agricul- 
tural societies  went  into  the  same  line  of  work.  In  the  beginning 
they  wisely  decided  to  confine  their  operations  to  the  sale  of  eggs  and 
not  to  take  up  for  the  time  the  more  difficult  work  of  fattening  and 
preparing  poultry  for  the  market.  In  the  course  of  time  they  found 
that  a  society  could  work  to  greater  advantage  on  an  extended  scale, 
and  so  the  societies  that  were  started  in  1902  have,  as  a  rule,  a  wider 
area,  a  larger  capital,  a  larger  membership,  and  a  larger  business 
than  most  of  the  societies  formed  prior  to  that  time. 

The  fifty-six  cooperative  societies  for  the  raising  of  poultry  and  the 
sale  of  eggs  are  situated  in  the  following  nineteen  counties: 


County. 

Number 
of  soci- 
eties. 

County. 

Number 
of  soci- 
eties. 

Donegal               

4 

Kings      ..  .        

1 

Londonderry  

3 

Wieklow    

2 

Antrim  

3 

Waterford  

1 

Tvrone            

4 

Cork  

5 

3 

1 

Sligo 

11 

1 

2 

Kilkenny 

1 

4 

Clare 

1 

Cavan  

2 

Westmeath 

4 

Monaghan 

3 

These  societies  are  formed  for  the  purpose  of  improving  the  breeds 
of  chickens  and  to  enable  the  farmers  to  get  a  remunerative  price  for 
their  products  by  finding  openings  for  the  sale  of  eggs  and  poultry. 
The  shares  are  5s.  each,  and  the  farmer  must  take  one  share  for  every 
25  chickens  in  his  possession. 

The  growth  of  these  societies  in  number  and  volume  of  business 
appears  from  the  following  table: 


Year. 

Number 
of 
societies. 

Value  of 
business. 

Year. 

Number 
of 

societies. 

Value  of 
business. 

1898  

3 

1901  

29 

$81,  120 

1899  

16 

ft;s  ti«is 

1902                                         

31 

145,576 

1900  

-    21 

46,  110 

1903              

56 

The  volume  of  business  grew  regularly  from  $38,698  in  1899  to 
$145,576  in  1902.  Thus  it  appears  that  the  business  of  the  societies 
in  1902  was  twice  as  large  as  that  of  1901.  more  than  three  times  as 
largo  as  that  of  1900,  and  nearly  four  times  as  large  as  that  of  1899. 
This  business  refers  only  to  societies  registered  as  "poultry  societies" 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN   EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  31 

and  leaves  out  of  account  the  trade  in  eggs  and  poultry  done  by  agricul- 
tural or  dairy  societies.  The  business  of  one  of  these  societies  alone — 
that  of  Windgap— amounted  in  1902  to  $6,326. 

It  is  encouraging  'to  note  that  the  membership  as  well  as  the  busi- 
ness of  the  poultry  societies  has  grown  from  year  to  year.  In  1902 
the  31  societies  had  a  membership  of  5,906. 

ORGANIZATION    AND    METHODS    OF    PROCEDURE. 

The  Irish  Agricultural  Organization  Society  has  adopted  the  follow- 
ing mode  of  procedure  in  establishing  local  poultry  societies:  First  of 
all  the  organizers  distribute  leaflets  showing  the  advantages  of  coop- 
eration and  urging  the  farmers  to  form  organizations.  These  leaflets 
are  sometimes  in  the  form  of  questions  and  answers,  and  often  lighted 
up  with  quaint  flashes  of  Irish  humor. 


LOCATION  OF  CENTRAL  STATION. 


When  a  society  has  been  formed  the  Irish  Agricultural  Organization 
Society  sends  an  expert  to  give  advice  as  to  where  to  locate  the  central 
station.  It  is  essential  that  this  be  within  easy  access  of  a  railway  and 
at  the  same  time  central  and  convenient  to  the  district  embraced  by 
the  society.  If  possible  it  should  either  be  a  seaport  town  or  a  station 
on  a  main  line  of  railway,  from  which  through  rate  can  be  had  to 
markets  in  Great  Britian. 


SUITABLE  BUILDINGS. 


If  old  buildings  are  not  available  a  two-story  building  is  erected, 
with  an  earth  floor,  about  40  by  20  feet.  The  material  is  sometimes 
stone  or  brick,  but  more  often  galvanized  iron  sheets  lined  with  thin, 
matched  boarding.  The  upper  story  is  divided  into  two  rooms — a 
small  one,  20  by  10  feet,  to  be  used  for  a  committee  room,  and  a  large 
storeroom  for  wood,  straw,  wood  wool,  and  other  packing  materials. 
On  the  lower  floor  a  small  space  is  reserved  for  the  office,  and  in  the 
remainder  the  eggs  are  tested,  crated,  and  packed,  and  the  poultry 
killed,  plucked,  dressed,  and  packed. 

In  addition  to  the  main  building,  there  are  usually  smaller  sheds  for 
housing  the  horses  and  sheltering  the  poultry  that  are  fattened.  The 
society  must  necessarily  have  one  or  more  horses,  with  complete  sets 
of  harness  and  light  vans  for  collecting  the  eggs  and  poultry  and  con- 
veying them  to  the  railway  station  or  steamboat;  an  oil  cover  for  each 
van;  several  sets  of  scales  and  weights;  testing  and  grading  machines; 
a  set  of  plain  carpenter's  tools;  a  set  of  stencils  and  branding  instru- 
ments; and  a  set  of  account  books. 

BRANCH   DEPOTS   FOR  COLLECTING    EGGS. 

In  connection  with  the  central  station  there  should  be  established  a 
certain  number  of  branches,  or  collecting  depots.  Five  or  six  will 


32  BUREAU    OF   ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

probably  be  sufficient  to  begin  with.  They  ought  to  be  within  carting 
distance  of  the  central  station,  as  local  rates  on  railways  for  short  dis- 
tances are  high.  All  that  is  needed  at  local  depots  is  a  set  of  scales 
and  weights.  Here  the  eggs  are  placed  in  large  boxes  with  pasteboard 
compartments  and  forwarded  to  the  central  station. 


METHODS  OF  COLLECTING. 


A  man  who  is  thoroughly  familiar  with  the  neighborhood  is  employed 
to  take  charge  of  a  horse  and  van.  He  works  seventy  hours  a  week 
and  collects  twice  a  week  on  each  round.  He  blows  a  horn  at  frequent 
and  regular  intervals  to  give  warning  of  his  approach,  in  order  that 
the  eggs  may  be  in  readiness  when  he  arrives.  When  the  lanes  and 
byways  are  badly  kept  and  it  is  difficult  to  drive  to  the  cottages,  chil- 
dren usually  bring  the  eggs  to  the  main  road.  The  collector  weighs 
the  eggs  and  pays  for  them  at  the  current  price  for  the  day,  and  hands 
the  producer  a  duplicate  statement  of  the  transaction  as  a  check  to  his 
claim  on  the  dividends  at  the  end  of  the  year.  The  collector  must  be 
careful  not  to  accept  dirty  eggs  or  he  will  have  to  bear  the  loss  in 
deductions  made  from  his  wages. 

As  the  collectors  carry  no  testing  apparatus  with  them,  they  can 
judge  of  the  age  of  the  eggs  only  by  the  appearance  of  the  shells,  but 
by  experience  they  soon  become  so  expert  in  this  that  a  stale  or  bad 
egg  seldom  escapes  their  notice.  Each  egg,  however,  has  the  number 
of  the  producer  stamped  on  the  end,  so  that  a  bad  egg  can  always  be 
traced  to  the  one  who  sells  it.  In  the  evening  the  collector  surren- 
ders at  the  station  with  his  load  of  eggs  the  register  of  his  purchases 
and  the  balance  of  his  cash  for  the  day,  and  takes  home  with  him  a 
new  supply  of  boxes,  straw,  and  cash,  and  a  new  register,  so  as  to  be 
able  to  make  an  early  start  the  next  day.  At  the  station  the  eggs  are 
weighed  again  at  the  earliest  opportunity  in  order  to  ascertain  whether 
the  weight  agrees  with  the  sum  paid  out,  and  the  register  of  each 
individual  sale  is  credited  to  the  members  on  the  books  of  the  society. 


THE  SORTING  OF  EGGS. 


The  eggs  are,  in  the  first  place,  graded,  or  sorted,  into  three  classes, 
according  as  they  weigh  13£,  15,  or  17  pounds  per  great  hundred  (10 
dozens).  As  the  breeds  improve  the  eggs  become  larger.  The  new 
system  of  buying  eggs  by  weight  instead  of  by  the  dozen  has  brought 
about  this  rational  change.  At  Mallow,  where  there  is  a  large  coop- 
erative poultry  society,  50  per  cent  of  the  eggs  in  1899  weighed  13£ 
pounds,  30  per  cent  weighed  15  pounds,  and  20  per  cent  weighed  IT 
pounds  per  groat  hundred.  Four  years  later  30  per  cent  weighed 
14  pounds,  30  per  cent  weighed  16  pounds,  and  20  per  cent  weighed 
17  pounds.  It  is  obvious  that  a  dozen  eggs  of  large  size,  if  sold  by 
weight,  bring  more  money  and  entitle  the  producer  to  a  larger 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  33 

share  in  the  annual  dividends  than  the  same  number  of  small  ones. 
So  long  as  small  egg's  brought  the  same  price  as  large  ones  there  was 
no  inducement  to  market  large  ones,  but  as  soon  as  the  trade  put  a 
premium  on  large-sized  eggs  it  became  profitable  to  have  better  breeds 
of  fowls  for  egg  production.  The  demand  for  large  eggs  is  now  so 
great  that  a  great  hundred  of  17  pounds  will  sometimes  command 
fancy  prices,  and  often  run,  especially  in  the  winter,  as  high  as  $1 
above  eggs  weighing  li  pounds  per  great  hundred. 

The  eggs  are  graded  and  placed  with  the  thick  endup  on  perforated 
trays  ready  for  the  testing  machine.  This  testing  apparatus  consists 
merely  of  a  tin-lined  box,  at  the  bottom  of  which  is  a  light.  As  the 
trays  are  placed  on  top  the  light  shines  through  the  fresh  eggs,  while 
the  old  and  stale  ones  appear  dark  and  cloudy.  At  this  time  the  stamp 
of  the  society  is  placed  on  each  egg. 


METHODS  OF  PACKING  AND  SHIPPING. 


The  British  trade  requires  that  the  eggs  shall  be  shipped  in  non- 
returnable  cases,  each  case  holding  three,  six,  or  twelve  long  hundreds. a 
Still,  packers  are  advised  not  to  put  over  six  hundred  in  a  box  and  to 
have  a  partition  in  the  middle,  for  cases  that  are  too  heavy  often  break 
during  shipment.  The  cheapest  and  lightest  kinds  of  woods,  there- 
fore, are  used  for  cases,  such  as  deal,  poplar,  or  lime.  The  boards  are 
sawed  at  local  mills  to  the  exact  dimensions  required  for  boxes  and 
stored  at  the  stations.  The  cases  are  nailed  together  as  they  are 
needed.  For  packing,  either  straw  or  wood  wool  is  used.  The  best 
straw  is  that  of  oats,  but  barley  straw  is  sometimes  used.  The  wood 
wool  is  made  from,  one  of  the  soft,  resinous  kinds  of  deal  or  fir. 
Before  using,  the  rosin  is  removed  and  the  packing  material  is  made 
clean  and  dry  so  as  not  to  injure  or  impart  an}T  odor  to  the  eggs.  The 
eggs  are  packed  in  layers,  with  straw  or  wood  wool  between.  Each 
case  contains  but  one  grade  of  eggs. 

On  the  lids  are  placed  the  following  marks:  "Irish  eggs,"  "With 
care,"  "This  side  up,"  "  Keep  dry,"  and  on  the  ends  are  branded  the 
number  of  long  hundreds  and  the  net  weight  above  the  words  "New- 
laid  Irish  eggs."  The  case  is  now  ready  to  be  turned  over  to  the 
railway  or  steamship  company  for  shipment  to  Great  Britain. 

TRANSFORMATION    DUE   TO   POULTRY   SOCIETIES. 

CONDITIONS    BEFORE   ORGANIZATION    OF    POULTRY    SOCIETIES. 

Before  the  advent  of  the  poultry  societies  the  poultry  industry  in 
Ireland  was  in  no  better  condition  than  in  many  other  countries  where 
the  chickens  are  left  to  shift  for  themselves.  The  farmers  were  satis- 
tied  to  sell  small  eggs  and  scrawny  spring  chickens  to  the  local  dealers 

°  A  long  hundred  is  used  in  Ireland  for  great  hundred=120  eggs. 
7774— No.  65—04 3 


34  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

at  low  prices.  As  little  or  no  attention  was  given  to  the  matter  of 
having  good  breeds,  and  the  chickens  were  often  kept  until  they  were 
ten  3rears  old,  they  did  not  lay  over  one  hundred  eggs  a  year.  Not 
hatched  at  the  right  season  nor  properly  cared  for,  they  did  not  lay  in 
winter  when  the  price  was  high.  When  the  price  was  rising  the 
housewife  held  the  eggs  as  long  as  she  dared  for  the  sake  of  the  extra 
gain  and  then  sold  them  to  what  are  called  "higglers,"  or,  in  Ireland, 
"egglers."  The  dealers  held  them  still  longer  and  sent  them  dirty 
and  unselected  to  the  British  market  in  musty  straw  and  in  cases  that 
had  crossed  the  Channel  more  than  once  before  with  various  contents. 
No  wonder  many  an  Irishman  was  puzzled  to  know  what  became 
of  those  eggs  when  they  had  reached  this  well-seasoned  state.  The 
situation  became  such  that  the  Irish  eggs,  compared  with  eggs  from 
the  Continent,  appeared  in  an  unfavorable  light  and  brought  the 
lowest  price  on  the  British  market. 

CHANGE    IN    METHODS    OP    PACKING    DEMANDED. 

In  1898  matters  came  to  a  crisis,  when  the  merchants  of  Liverpool 
and  Glasgow,  who  had  before  handled  Irish  eggs,  gave  notice  by  cir- 
cular that  after  a  certain  date  the}r  would  buy  only  fresh  eggs  packed 
in  dry,  clean  straw  or  wood  wool  and  in  nonreturnable  cases,  such  as 
were  used  in  the  continental  trade.  The  exporters,  who  could  only 
gain  by  the  change,  sided  with  the  merchants,  but  the  farmers'  wives 
continued  as  before  to  keep  their  eggs  until  they  had  a  goodly  number 
on  hand.  This  bad  habit  came  near  ruining  an  industry  which  other- 
wise proved  profitable  to  the  country.  The  merchants  refused  to 
yield,  as  they  could  get  what  they  needed  from  a  half  dozen  countries, 
and  had  given  the  Irish  this  opportunity  in  order  that  they  might 
compete  with  the  foreign  imports. 

PRESENT   CONDITION    OF   THE    POULTRY    INDUSTRY. 

What  the  poultry  business  or  the  egg  trade  of  Ireland  has  been  dur- 
ing the  last  years  can  only  be  estimated,  as  there  are  as  yet  no  avail- 
able statistics  on  the  subject.  From  the  figures  alread}^  given  we 
see  that  the  egg  trade  of  Ireland  does  not  rank  with  that  of  Denmark, 
but  that  a  great  improvement  has  been  accomplished  is  evident,  and 
the  interest  shown  in  the  work  as  well  as  the  nearness  of  the  country 
to  the  great  markets  justifies  the  belief  that  it  is  destined  to  grow. 

INSTRUCTION    IN    POULTRY   KEEPING. 

In  the  winter  of  1902  courses  of  instruction  in  the  practical  manage- 
ment of  poultry  societies  were  given  at  Dunboe,  County  Kerr}',  and 
at  Dervock,  County  Antrim.  These  were  preliminary  courses,  and 
intended  to  satisfy  the  urgent  demand  for  managers  of  newly  formed 
poultry  societies.  The  following  year  the  department  of  agriculture 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  35 

and  technical  instruction  for  Ireland  gave  a  special  course  of  instruc- 
tion in  poultry  keeping  at  the  Albert  Agricultural  College,  Glasnevin, 
County  Dublin.  This  course  was  designed  for  young  men  and  women 
wishing  to  obtain  a  practical  training  in  poultry  keeping  or  to  qualify 
themselves  as  itinerant  instructors  in  poultry  keeping.  In  order  to 
facilitate  this  instruction,  poultry  runs,  on  which  are  represented  the 
pure  breeds  of  fowl,  have  been  provided.  Furthermore,  the  depart- 
ment has  announced  that  for  the  year  1903-04  it  is  prepared  to  approve 
of  the  appointment  of  at  least  one  instructor  for  each  county  of  Ire- 
land, provided  a  suitable  one  can  be  obtained.  It  outlines  at  the  same 
time  the  general  plan,  limits  the  pay,  and  prescribes  the  duties  of  the 
instructors.  This  scheme  of  the  department  is  published  herewith  in 
full: 
SCHEME  FOR  ENCOURAGING  IMPROVEMENT  IN  THE  POULTRY-KEEPING  INDUSTRY,  1903-04. 

1.  The  department  is  prepared,  provided  a  suitable  instructor  in  poultry  keeping 
can  be  obtained,  to  approve  of  the  appointment  of  at  least  one  such  person  for  each 
county  in  Ireland. 

2.  The  department  will,  as  far  as  possible,  assist  county  committees  in  obtaining 
an  instructor  by  supplying  the  names  of  persons  qualified  for  the  post. 

3.  Unless  in  exceptional  circumstances  the  remuneration  of  the  instructor  shall 
not  exceed  £2  [$9.73]  per  week,  in  addition  to  expenses  of  locomotion,  which  include 
second-class  railway  fare,  car  hire  when  necessary,  or  a  bicycle  allowance  of  2d. 
[4  cents]  per  mile  in  lieu  thereof. 

4.  The  appointment  of  the  instructor  shall  be  determinable  at  any  time  by  four 
weeks'  notice  in  writing  on  either  side. 

5.  It  will  be  the  duty  of  the  instructor  to  deliver  courses  of  lectures  on  poultry 
keeping,  including  the  selection  of  breeds,  the  hatching  and  rearing  of  chickens,  the 
feeding  and  housing  of  poultry,  and  the  marketing  of  the  produce;  to  visit  poultry 
runs  and  give  such  advice  as  may  be  desired  by  poultry  keepers;  to  inspect  the  egg- 
distribution  stations  referred  to  in  clause  12;  to  report  to  the  department  and  to  the 
c-ounty  committee  regarding  the  progress  of  his  or  her  work  as  may  be  required,  and 
generally  to  give  his  or  her  whole  time  towards  promoting  improvement  in  jKmltry 
keeping  in  the  county. 

6.  For  this  purpose  the  county  should  be  divided  into  circuits,  each  comprising 
not  less  than  five  centers.     The  instructor  should  work  for  at  least  four  weeks  in 
each  circuit,  and  deliver  one  lecture  j>er  week  at  each  center  during  that  time.     The 
instructor  will,  when  invited  to  do  so,  visit,  either  on  the  day  of  the  lecture  or  on 
the  following  day,  any  of  the  poultry  runs  in  the  neighborhood,  and  give  such  infor- 
mation on  poultry  keeping  as  the  circumstances  of  the  case  may  suggest. 

The  county  committee  alone  are  responsible  for  the  selection  of  the  centers  and 
the  arrangement  of  lectures.  No  work  of  this  nature  should  be  undertaken  by  the 
instructor,  though  it  is  desirable  that  he  or  she  should  be  consulted. 

7.  It  will  l>e  the  duty  of  the  county  committee  to  select  centers  at  which  the  lec- 
tures will  be  given  and  to  appoint  a  local  committee,  with  an  honorary  secretary,  at 
each  center,  who  should  select  the  school  and  arrange  for  the  hiring,  lighting,  and 
warming  of  the  room  in  which  the  lectures  will  be  delivered. 

It  will  also  be  the  duty  of  the  county  committee  to  undertake  the  responsibility 
of  seeing  that  the  instructor's  time  is  fully  and  usefully  employed. 

The  county  committee  shall  keep  a  separate  account  of  all  expenditure  under 
this  scheme,  and  shall  furnish  detailed  statements  of  such  expenditure  as  shall  from 
time  to  time  be  required  by  the  department. 


36  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

8.  Lectures  should  be  arranged,  whenever  possible,  to  be  given  in  schoolrooms,  in 
the  evenings,  and  should  be  held  in  rural  centers  only.     Towns  and  larger  villages 
should  be  avoided,  as  experience  has  shown  that  the  greatest  success  attends  those 
lectures  which  are  given  in  the  rural  parts  of  the  county,  especially  when  the  lec- 
tures are  delivered  in  districts  where  the  greatest  number  of  those  interested  in 
poultry  keeping  is  to  be  found.     The  local  committee  at  each  center  should  be 
responsible  for  appointing  a  representative  chairman  for  each  lecture,  as  well  as  for 
the  distribution  of  the  short  syllabus,  which  will  be  prepared  by  the  lecturer  as  soon 
as  appointed.     The  local  committee  should  undertake  to  have  posters,  which  will  be 
supplied  by  the  secretary  of  the  county  committee,  effectively  displayed  throughout 
the  circuit.     Each  lecture  should  be  followed  by  a  discussion,  during  which  iarmers 
and  others  interested  in  poultry  keeping  will  be  invited  to  ask  questions  relative  to 
their  business. 

9.  The  lectures  should  commence  early  in  autumn  and  be  continued  until  the  end 
of  the  hatching  season.     If  employed  during  the  summer  months,  the  instructor 
should,  during  that  season,  visit  poultry  runs  and  inspect  egg-distribution  stations. 

DISTRIBUTION    OF   SITTINGS    OF    EGGS    OF    PURE    BREEDS. 

Hens  and  ducks. 

10.  In  counties  where  instruction  in  poultry  keeping  has  been  provided  the  de- 
partment are  prepared  to  sanction  a  limited  number  of  premiums  of  £5  [$24.33]  each, 
being  awarded  to  selected  applicants  who  distribute  at  least  sixty  sittings  of  eggs;  those 
who  distribute  less  will  be  paid  in  proportion  to  the  number  distributed.     When 
the  demand  for  sittings  is  not  pressing  the  owner  may  set  eggs  for  his  own  use,  but 
such  sittings  will  not  count  towards  a  premium.     Applicants  must  agree  to  comply 
with  the  following  conditions: 

(1)  To  keep  one  pure  breed  of  hens  only.     In  exceptional  cases  the  department 
may  approve  of  more  than  one  pure  breed  being  kept,  provided  they  are  satisfied 
that  the  selected  person,  houses,  runs,  birds,  etc.,  are  suitable. 

(2)  To  sell  or  destroy  any  existing  fowl  on  the  farm  of  which  the  instructor  or  the 
department  may  disapprove,  and  not  to  bring  on  the  farm  fowl  of  any  description 
without  the  approval  of  the  instructor  or  of  the  department. 

(3)  To  keep  no  male  birds  on  the  farm  other  than  those  used  for  stock  purposes 
of  the  breed  or  breeds  of  fowl  approved  of. 

(4)  When  a  premium  is  claimed  for  hens  alone,  to  keep  not  less  than  30  or  more 
than  60  of  the  selected  breed.     If  the  premium  is  claimed  in  respect  of  hens  and 
ducks,  to  keep  not  less  than  20  or  more  than  60  hens  or  pullets  of  the  selected  breed, 
and  not  less  than  10  or  more  than  30  ducks  of  the  selected  breed.     One  cock  or  cock- 
erel must  be  kept  for  every  10  hens  or  pullets,  and  1  drake  for  every  6  ducks. 

(5)  To  provide  proper  housing  where  such  does  not  already  exist,  and  in  case  of 
two  breeds  being  kept  to  provide  a  separate  run  for  each  to  the  satisfaction  of  the 
instructor  or  the  department.     The  run  for  any  one  flock  of  30  birds  will  require  to 
be  at  least  300  square  yards. 

(6)  To  feed  and  care  for  the  birds  in  such  a  manner  and  in  such  a  way  as  the 
instructor  and  the  department  may  require. 

(7)  To  supply  sittings  of  eggs  from  these  birds  to  any  person  in  the  county  at  Is. 
[24  cents]  per  dozen,  and  to  replace  infertile  eggs  that  are  returned  within  one  month 
from  the  date  on  which  they  were  sent  out. 

In  special  cases  the  department   may  sanction  an  increase  in   the  price  of  eggs, 
provided  the  county  committee  show  sufficient  reasons  for  so  doing. 

(8)  To  stamp  all  eggs  given  out  with  a  stamp  provided  for  the  purpose  by  the 
county  committee. 

(9)  To  keep  in  a  special  book,  provided  by  the  county  committee,  an  accurate 
record  of  all  eggs  laid  and  distributed.     This  book  must  be  sent  to  the  secretary  of 
the  county  committee  or  to  the  department  when  asked  for  by  either  of  these  bodies. 
The  books  should  be  returned  to  the  secretary  of  the  county  committee  at  the  end 
of  the  distributing  season,  which  will  commence  on  January  1  and  terminate  on 
May  31. 

(10)  To  permit  the  instructor  or  the  department  to  inspect  the  birds  at  any  time. 
Any  infringement  of  the  above  rules  may  entail  the  cancellation  of  the  premium. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  37 

11.  An  additional  grant  of  50  per  cent  of  the  actual  cost,  but  in  no  case  exceeding 
£2   [$9.73],  may  be  made  to  the  selected  persons  who  provide  themselves  with 
portable  wooden  fowl  houses  approved  by  the  department.     This  will  only  apply  to 
persons  that  are  taking  up  the  scheme  in  1903-04  for  the  first  time. 

Turkeys. 

12.  Premiums  of  £3  [$14.60]  each  may  be  offered  to  persons  who  are  prepared  to 
comply  with  the  following  conditions: 

( 1 )  To  keep  one  or  more  purebred  American  Bronze  stock  turkey  cocks  for  the 
service  of  turkey  hens,  the  property  of  any  persons  residing  in  the  county,  at  a  fee 
of  6d.  [12  cents]  per  service.     Each  cock  must  serve  20  hens,  exclusive  of  the  owner's. 
If  a  smaller  number  are  served,  the  premium  wrill  be  proportionately  reduced.     The 
turkey  cock  will  be  required  to  be  at  least  12  months  old  and  not  less  than  23  pounds 
in  weight. 

(2)  To  provide  proper  housing  accommodation  and  to  feed  and  care  for  the  bird 
or  birds  in  such  a  manner  as  the  instructor  or  the  department  may  require. 

(3)  To  keep  in  a  special  book,  provided  by  the  county  committee,  an  accurate 
record  of  services.     This  book  must  be  sent  to  the  secretary  of  the  county  committee 
or  to  the  department  when  required,  but  otherwise  returned  to  the  secretary  of  the 
county  committee  at  the  end  of  the  season,  which  will  commence  on  January  1  and 
terminate  on  May  31. 

(4)  To  permit  the  instructor  or  the  department  to  i aspect  the  birds  at  any  time. 
Any  infringement  of  the  above  rules  may  entail  the  cancellation  of  the  premium. 

13.  An  applicant  will  be  eligible  for  only  one  premium  either  for  hens  or  for  hens 
and  ducks  combined,  but  he  will,  in  addition,  be  eligible  to  hold  a  premium  for  tur- 
keys.    No  premium,  however,  will  be  given  for  ducks  alone. 

One  of  the  following  breeds  of  hens  and  ducks  must  be  selected: 

Laying  breed*. 
Minorcas.     White  Leghorns.     Brown  Leghorns. 

General-purpose  breeds. 

Houdans.     Plymouth  Rocks.     Orpingtons.     Faverolles. 

Ducks. 

Aylesbury.     Rouen.     Pekin.     Indian  Runner. 

14.  As  soon  as  the  instructor  has  been  appointed  and  the  number  of  premiums 
proposed  to  be  awarded  has  been  approved  of  by  the  department,  the  county  com- 
mittee shall  invite  applications  from  persons  in  the  county  who  already  possess,  or 
are  willing  to  purchase,  hens  of  approved  pure  breeds  of  fowls  or  ducks,  or  to  keep 
one  or  more  pure-bred  turkey  cocks,  as  above,  and  who  are  prepared  to  comply  with 
the  above  conditions.     When  these  applications  have  been  received  the  county 
instructor  in  poultry  keeping  will,  as  soon  as  possible,   inspect  and  report  to  the 
county  committee  as  to  the  number  of  suitable  applicants.     The  names  of  the  selected 
applicants,  with  full  particulars  as  to  breeds,  number  of  birds,  and  housing,  should 
then  be  submitted  for  the  approval  of  the  department,  who  may  thereupon  further 
inspect  the  selected  farms  and  submit  a  list  of  those  of  which  they  approve  to  the 
county  committee  for  their  final  selection. 

15.  The  department  will  not  consider  applications  from  a  county  in  respect  of  pre- 
miums under  this  scheme  later  than  December  1,  1903. 

On  account  of  the  difficulty  of  procuring  stock  birds  of  pure  breeds  late  in  the 
season,  it  is  recommended  that^county  committees  who  intend  to  adopt  this  scheme 
should,  if  possible,  have  all  arrangements  completed  prior  to  January  1,  1904. 

16.  Not  later  than  June  10  the  selected  applicants  for  premiums  should  forward 
to  the  secretary  of  the  county  committee  the  record  books  referred  to  in  clauses  10 
(9)  and  12,  accompanied  by  a  statutory  declaration  certifying  that  the  entries  in 


38 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


these  books  are  correct  and  that  all  the  conditions  of  this  scheme  have  been  com- 
plied with. 

As  soon  as  the  department  is  satisfied  as  to  the  fulfillment  of  the  conditions  of  this 
scheme,  the  secretary  of  the  county  committee  will  be  notified  that  payment  may  be 
made  by  the  committee  of  the  premiums  or  part  premiums  payable  under  this 
scheme. 

Forms  for  the  declaration  required  by  this  clause  may  be  had[  on  application  to  the 
secretary  of  the  county  committee. 

17.  No  action  shall  be  taken  by  the  county  committee  towards  putting  this  scheme, 
or  any  part  thereof,  into  operation  until  the  sanction  of  the  department  has  been 
obtained  in  writing. 

FRANCE. 

GEOGRAPHICAL   DISTRIBUTION   OF   POULTRY. 

The  earliest  census  of  French  poultry  was  taken  in  1862  and  has 
been  followed  by  those  of  1882  and  1892.  In  this  period  of  thirty 
years  the  number  of  chickens  has  risen  successively  from  42,851,790 
(1862)  to  47,601,284  (1882)  and  to  54,102,985  (1892).  The  census  of 
1902  is  not  yet  issued,  but  at  the  same  percentage  of  increase  the  num- 
ber of  chickens  for  that  year  should  amount  to  over  60,000,000.  The 
census  is  taken  near  the  end  of  the  year  (November  30)  and  gives  what 
may  be  considered  a  constant  figure,  rising  gradually  from  year  to 
year.  If  taken  earlier  in  the  year,  the  census  would  no  doubt  show 
greater  fluctuations.  By  the  end  of  November  the  spring  and  summer 
stock  are  presumably  sold  off  and  the  remainder  is  kept  mainly  for 
breeding  and  laying  purposes. 

Number  and  value  of  French  poultry  as  given  by  the  census  returns  of  1862,  1882,  and  1892. 


18< 

>2. 

18 

32. 

18 

92. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Number. 

Value. 

Chickens 

42,  851,  790 

810  917,  967 

47  601  284 

$17  623  257 

54,  102,  985 

819,265  256 

Geese  ... 

3,  881,  557 

2,794  294 

3,938  405 

3,  609,  031 

3,  519,  741 

3  075,654 

Ducks  .... 

3  610,841 

1,219,651 

4,  184,  250 

1,799,888 

3  683,  727 

1,525,904 

Turkeys  

1,760,506 

1,726,070 

2,  095,  697 

•    2,  214,  867 

1,968,142 

1,974,688 

Guinea  fowls.  

271,637 

166,%1 

300,  509 

200,911 

This  industry  is  distributed  more  generally  than  any  other  over  the 
entire  country.  While  the  mountain  tracts  of  the  south  and  south- 
east are  rather  scantity  supplied,  poultry  is  grown  considerably  in  the 
eastern  and  northern  Departments."  As  might  be  expected,  owing  to 
the  nearness  of  the  great  markets  of  London  and  Paris,  poultry  a  bounds 
in  the  Departments  between  Paris  and  the  English  Channel. 

The  Departments  of  France  best  supplied  with  poultry  seem,  on  the 
one  hand,  to  lie  on  a  broad  strip  extending  from  Manche  and  the  neigh - 

«  See  Geographic  Agricole  de  la  France  et  du  Monde,  by  .1.  Dn  Plessis  de  Grenedan, 
p.  215  ff. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  39 

boring  Departments  south  to  the  base  of  the  Pyrenees.  Another  strip 
commences  in  the  southeast  and  winds  about  Paris  on  the  south  and 
west  as  far  as  the  Belgian  frontier,  taking  in  the  Departments  of  Eure, 
Seine-Inferieure,  Oise,  Aisne,  Somme,  Pas-de-Calais,  and  Nord.  The 
greatest  number  per  acre  exists  in  the  Department  of  Seine,  in  which 
the  capital  (Paris)  is  located. 

The  following  table  will  give  some  idea  of  the  number  of  poultry 
per  acre  in  different  parts  of  the  country  in  1892: 


Per  acre. 


Per  acre. 


Seine 3.  26     Sarthe 0. 47 

Nord 1. 14  I  Mayenne 44 


Somme 1.07 

Saone-et-Loire 97 

Rhin  (Haut) 61 

Ille-et-Vilaine . .  .51 


Pas-de-Calais 425 

Pyr£nees-Orientales 36 

Var 26 

Alpes-Maritirnes 18 


In  the  course  of  time  France  has  developed  several  excellent  breeds 
of  chickens  which  are  considered  eminently  adapted  to  the  country. 
The  most  famous  breeds  are  La  Bresse,  Houdan,  Crevecreur,  Fleche, 
and  Faverolles.  La  Bresse  breed  abounds  at  Bourg  in  Ain  and 
Louhans  in  Saone-et-Loire;  Houdans  at  Hurepoix;  Crevecoeurs  in  the 
valley  of  the  Auge;  and  La  Fleche  in  Maine.  The  last  named  furnish 
the  well-known  poulards  of  Le  Mans. 

Ducks  are  found  in  great  numbers  in  the  western  marshes,  in  the 
southwestern  plains  along  the  ocean,  and  particularly  in  Perigord,  in 
the  Charentes,  and  upper  Poitou. 

Geese  are  found  in  great  numbers  in  Armagnac,  lower  Auvergne, 
le  Bourbonnais,  and  La  Bresse.  Many  are  also  raised  in  Poitou,  where 
their  livers  are  used  in  manufacturing  pate  de  foie  gras  (a  pie  made 
of  fat  goose  livers). 

Turkeys  thrive  on  higher  ground  away  from  the  sea.  They  are 
found  in  considerable  numbers  on  the  plains  of  the  Garonne,  beyond 
Bordelais,  as  well  as  in  middle  and  eastern  France. 

THE   CONDITIONS   OF   PRODUCTION. 

France  contains  a  great  number  of  farms  and  small  holdings.  The 
census  of  1892  states  that  there  are  5,702,752  small  holdings  or  farms. 
The  great  advantage  of  this  system  of  small  holdings  is  that  the  land 
is  in  the  hands  of  the  maximum  number  of  proprietors  and  is  able  to 
support  a  very  large  rural  population.  The  small  size  of  the  holdings 
compels  the  peasants  to  resort  to  intensive  cultivation,  and  thus  to 
make  the  most  out  of  their  land.  Where  an  Englishman  would  emi- 
grate to  America  or  to  the  colonies  and  go  into  farming  on  a  large 
scale,  the  French  peasant  would  win  a  living  by  this  intensive  cultiva- 
tion and  thus  be  able  to  stay  in  his  own  country.  The  necessity  of 
obtaining  good  results  from  small  holdings  of  land  has  developed  a 
large  class  of  skilled  farmers — what  we  might  call  agricultural  arti- 


40  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

sans.  These  conditions  have  produced  the  qualities  of  patience  and 
skill  and  an  almost  fastidious  care  in  the  tilling  of  their  small  farms. 
The  work  is  often  laborious  and  not  very  remunerative,  but  they  are 
able  in  this  way  to  remain  in  France. 

The  average  number  of  chickens  per  holding  or  farm  is  9.48.  Leav- 
ing out  of  account  the  State  lands  and  the  woods  and  forests,  the  cul- 
tivated area  amounts  to  34,720,200  hectares  (85,797,614  acres),  and 
gives  1.56  chickens  per  hectare,  or  0.63  per  acre.  The  number  of  per- 
sons who  owned  or  rented  the  land  they  tilled  was  4,814,870  in  1892. 
They  raised  an  average  of  11.24  chickens. 

France  is  an  agricultural  country  and  produces  an  abundance  of 
grain.  The  soil  and  climate  are  favorable  to  the  keeping  of  poultiy 
and  the  production  of  eggs.  The  subdivision  of  the  land  into  numer- 
ous farms  and  small  holdings  has  a  tendency  to  enlarge  the  industry, 
and  the  nearness  to  London  and  Paris  insures  ready  markets. 

The  care  of  the  poultry  is  mostly  in  the  hands  of  the  farmer's  wife. 
She  looks  to  the  comfort  of  her  fowls  and  feeds  them  scraps  and  warm 
mashes.  The  equal  of  the  French  peasant  wife  in  industry  and  skill- 
ful management  is  not  found  in  any  other  country.  The  large  amount 
of  money  paid  by  Great  Britain  for  French  butter  and  eggs  in  excess 
of  those  of  other  nations  is  a  direct  tribute  to  the  skill  and  industry  of 
the  French  menage  res.  They  fear  no  rivalry  from  the  English,  as 
the  English  ladies  will  never  condescend  to  this  necessity;  but  the}' 
feel  some  anxiety  as  to  whether  the}7  can  keep  the  market  from  the 
Danes  and  the  Russians. 

The  French  eggs  are  large  and  brown  and  have  an  excellent  flavor, 
and,  being  sorted,  packed,  and  presented  in  the  most  attractive  way, 
they  bring  the  highest  price  in  the  English  market.  (See  table  on 
p.  426.)  The  largest  eggs  come  from  Picardy.  Besides  the  extra 
size  of  the  Picard  eggs — being  about  as  large  as  ordinary  turkey  eggs — 
they  are  considered  to  be  of  finer  flavor  and  quality  than  those  from 
other  parts.  The  Normandy  eggs  come  next. 

Poultry  raising  is  an  important  industry  in  Brittany.  The  cost  of 
food,  which  consists  principally  of  skim  milk  and  barley  meal,  is  not 
great.  In  fattening  a  simple  device  is  used,  it  being  a  circular  fattening 
pen  of  several  tiers  on  a  central  pivot  and  an  automatic  "crammer." 
A  woman  is  usually  employed  at  this  work  at  a  cost  of  about  30  cents 
per  day. 

The  eggs  and  poultry  are  collected  at  the  local  fairs  and  markets, 
and  even  at  the  farmhouses,  by  the  dealer's  cart  as  it  goes  on  its 
weekly  round.  The  eggs  are  packed  for  shipment  in  long,  flat  cases 
holding  60  do/ens  and  which  are  easy  to  handle. 

The  Breton  peasant  himself  is  not  a  consumer  of  eggs,  but  he  holds 
them  for  the  collector,  who  in  turn  sells  them  to  the  local  merchant, 
and  finally  the,  eggs  find  their  way  to  St.  Malo.  In  1896  there  were 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  41 

exported  from  Cherbourg,  Granville,  Barfleur,  and  St.  Malo  8,830 
tons  of  eggs  and  267  tons  of  fowls. 

METHOD   OF   COLLECTING   EGGS   AT   ST.  MALO. 

An  important  point  in  the  egg  industry  is  to  bring  the  eggs  to 
market  in  a  fresh  state.  As  a  rule,  a  farmer  does  not  find  it  worth 
his  while  to  make  an  extra  trip  to  town  to  deliver  eggs,  and  if  he  does 
not  happen  to  go  to  town  the  eggs  remain  at  home  to  become  stale,  or 
are  pickled  for  the  winter,  and  in  either  case  are  sold  at  a  reduced 
price.  A  British  consul  reports  a  simple  plan  of  marketing  eggs 
which  is  followed  by  the  people  in  the  vicinity  of  St.  Malo,  France. 
Women  and  bo}^s  collect  the  eggs  at  the  farmhouses  and  cottages,  pay 
for  them  in  readv  monev,  and  take  them  to  the  nearest  collector,  who 

•/  «/     7 

gives  them  an  additional  cent  a  dozen  for  their  work.  He  either 
packs  them  himself  or  sends  them  to  the  packer  at  St.  Malo.  By  this 
method  several  people  make  a  living  with  little  or  no  outlay,  $5  to 
pay  for  the  eggs  and  a  light  wooden  crate,  carried  by  means  of  a 
webbing  over  the  shoulders  like  a  knapsack,  being  all  they  require. 
By  this  method  the  eggs  arrive  fresh  on  the  market  and  bring  a  higher 
price  than  when  they  are  kept  long  and  delivered  in  a  stale  condition. 
The  farmers  and  cottagers  know  that  it  is  to  the  interest  of  the  woman 
or  boy  to  come  at  fixed  dates,  and  they  are  glad  to  be  saved  all  expense 
and  risk  of  sale.  Any  man  well  known  in  the  vicinity  can  start  this 
method  of  collection  by  employing  old  men  and  bo}^s.  If  a  collector 
purchases  even  50  dozen  eggs  in  a  day,  his  pay  is  50  cents,  and  he  is 
thus  insured  a  pretty  fair  living. 

PRODUCTION   AND   CONSUMPTION   OF    POULTRY. 

The  census  taken  on  November  30,  1892,  gives  the  number  of 
chickens  as  54,102,985.  The  stock  was  at  this  time  near  the  minimum 
number  after  the  slaughter  of  the  summer  stock.  What  proportion 
this  number  is  to  the  total  when  the  flocks  were  most  numerous  there 
are  no  data  to  determine.  The  Statistique  Agricole,  Resultats  Gene- 
raux  de  TKnquete  Decennalede  1892,  page  315,  suggests  the  following 
method:  The  writer  assumes  that  the  total  stock  of  the  country  remains 
nearl}'  constant  from  year  to  year,  and  that  the  average  life  of  a  chicken 
is  one  year  and  a  half.  Dividing  the  census  total  by  one  and  a  half  he 
obtains  36,068,650  as  the  number  of  chickens  consumed  annuall}".  In 
other  words,  the  number  killed  in  each  year  is  equivalent  to  the  new 
crop  of  the  season.  Thus  a  farmer  having  150  chickens  would  on  the 
average  dispose  of  100  a  year.  The  writer  does  not  state  on  what 
observations  he  bases  his  method. 

At  present  the  proportion  of  poultry  consumed  during  the  year  is 
greater  than  it  was  in  1892,  but  that  is  no  doubt  due  to  the  rise  in  the 


42  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

price  of  meat.  The  exports  of  poultry  give  only  a  small  fraction  of 
the  total  product  of  the  poultry  yard.  To  this  we  must  add  not  only 
the  number  that  is  sold  in  the  towns  and  cities,  but  also  that  con- 
sumed in  the  country  itself  by  the  producers.  But  what  the  percent- 
age of  each  one  of  these  items  may  be  is  not  easy  to  ascertain. 

THE   POSSIBILITIES   OF   IMPROVEMENT. 

Although  the  poultry  industry  is  probably  better  organized  in 
France  than  in  most  other  countries,  yet  much  could  be  done  to 
improve  existing  conditions.  More  effective  organization  will  prob- 
ably be  introduced,  this  being  necessary  in  order  to  compete  success- 
fully with  a  country  like  Denmark,  which  has  most  thorough  organi- 
zation. France  has  natural  advantages  in  the  climate,  soil,  aptitude 
of  the  people  for  this  work,  and  proximity  to  great  markets,  both 
domestic  and  foreign. 

The  Danish  cooperative  system  has  been  introduced  into  France  only 
to  a  limited  extent,  but  many  are  urging  its  adoption. 

IMPORTS  AND  EXPORTS  OF  POULTRY. 

The  imports  and  exports  of  live  poultry  are  not  large,  both  amount- 
ing to  only  about  half  a  million  dollars  a  year.  The  trade  in  dead 
poultry,  on  the  other  hand,  is  more  important  and  amounts  to  over 
$2,000,000  a  }7ear.  The  exports  exceed  the  imports  five  or  six  times. 

Ireland  supplies  only  her  own  demands.  Denmark  is  obliged  to 
import  for  her  own  use,  and  the  same  is  the  case  with  the  other  neigh- 
boring countries.  Of  the  more  remote  countries  Russia  is  the  largest 
exporter  to  England,  the  value  of  the  exports  amounting  to  $800,529 
in  1898.  Canada  and  Italy  also  ship  large  quantities.  The  quality  of 
this  poultry  is  not  the  best,  and  the  freezing  or  cold  storage  resorted 
to  in  transporting  them  to  great  distances  does  not  improve  their 
flavor.  Under  these  conditions  it  would  not  be  as  profitable  for  the 
French  to  compete  in  the  same  grade  of  exports.  Cheap  trade  is  not 
the  most  profitable.  The  extra  expense  entailed  in  producing  a  fine 
quality  is  trifling,  while  it  of  ten  doubles  the  price  in  the  market.  The 
total  exports  of  Russian  poultry  amount  to  a  large  sum,  but  the  net 
gain  is  probably  small.  The  French  exports  are  not  so  large,  but  the 
profits  are  large.  The  Mans  and  Bresse  pullets,  owing  to  their  supe- 
rior quality,  make  the  industry  profitable.  For  this  reason  they  have 
no  ambition  to  vie  with  Russia  in  the  quantity  of  their  exports,  and 
only  seek  to  develop  this  high-class  trade — this  commerce  de  luxe — 
which  they  now  possess  and  which  is  so  profitable.  The}'  devote  their 
skill  to  producing  poultry  of  exquisite  quality  and  Havor,  and  the 
great  success  of  the  French  at  the  annual  poultry  exhibitions  held  in 
the  Agricultural  Hall,  London,  is  evidence  of  the  merit  of  their 
products. 


POULTRY    AND    EGOS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  43 

Its  nearness  to  London  gives  Fiance  an  advantage  over  its  competi- 
tors. Most  of  the  poultry  and  eggs  that  are  exported  come  from  the 
north  of  France,  which  has  excellent  facilities  for  shipping  into  Eng- 
land. For  example,  the  Western  Railway  of  France  sends  five  days 
in  the  week  the  so-called  "  butter  train,"  which  gathers  butter,  eggs, 
and  poultry  along  the  route  and  arrives  at  Cherbourg  at  5  in  the  even- 
ing. Steamers  leave  at  11.30  in  the  night  and  tlje  train  arrives  in 
London  in  the  early  morning.  Thus  eggs  collected  in  France  may  be 
had  in  London  the  next  morning. 

The  east  counties  of  England  used  to  produce  a  great  many  turkeys, 
but  the  consumption  there  has  now  exceeded  the  production,  and  Eng- 
land has  recourse  to  France,  Italy,  and  Canada.  France  ships  two 
kinds  of  turkeys — the  Sologne  and  the  Normandy.  The  meat  of  the 
latter  is  more  tender,  has  a  better  flavor,  and  brings  a  somewhat  higher 
price  in  the  market.  French  turkeys  are  slaughtered  after  fasting 
twenty-four  hours,  and  then  packed  in  clean,  returnable  cases;  they 
reach  the  market  in  perfect  condition. 

Goose  is  the  traditional  Christmas  bird  of  the  English,  and  at  this 
joyous  season  the  English  consume  them  in  enormous  quantities.  The 
supply  comes  almost  altogether  from  France,  and  during  Christmas 
week  London  alone  consumes  from  100,000  to  150,000  French  geese. 
The  Department  of  Sarthe  occupies  the  first  place  in  the  production  of 
geese.  These  are  of  medium  weight  and  much  relished.  The  huge 
Toulouse  geese  are  not  in  so  great  demand.  In  recent  years  the  tend- 
ency has  been  to  raise  geese  weighing  from  9  to  12  pounds.  English 
buyers  complain  that  they  can  not  in  England  or  Ireland  obtain  500 
geese  of  uniform  weight,  while  they  can  buy  5,000  in  France  and  have 
them  delivered  on  a  certain  date.  Two  hundred  English  geese  would 
vaiy  in  weight  from  6  to  16  pounds. 

FRENCH  EXPORTS  OF  EGGS. 

The  French  exports  of  eggs  (see  pp.  453,  454)  show  a  considerable 
decline  during  the  "  nineties,"  and  several  explanations  of  this  fact  have 
been  offered.  Some  have  assumed  that  with  the  introduction  of  the 
cooperative  methods  eggs  of  better  quality  have  been  produced  else- 
where, and  that  these  have  forced  a  great  number  of  the  French  eggs 
out  of  the  market  and  taken  their  place.  That  the  eggs  of  other  coun- 
tries have  replaced  the  French  eggs  on  some  markets  does  not  prove 
the  superiority  of  the  former  is  easily  shown  by  the  fact  that  the 
French  eggs  have  now,  as  well  as  heretofore,  brought  the  highest 
prices  in  the  foreign  markets.  They  are  large,  brown,  and  of  excel- 
lent flavor,  being  in  especial  favor  with  the  wealth y.  The  great  quan- 
tity of  cheaper  eggs  that  enter  the  English  markets  is  consumed  by 
a  very  large  class  of  people  who  can  not  afford  to  use  the  French 
product. 


44 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL   INDUSTRY. 


The  cooperative  method  has  done  a  great  deal  to  increase  the  pro- 
duction and  quality  of  eggs,  but,  after  all  deductions  are  made,  such 
methods  can  not  produce  a  favorable  climate  or  soil  or  deprive  the 
French  peasant's  wife  of  her  native  industry  and  skill.  Others  have 
supposed  that  the  Italian  exports  to  southern  France  have  been 
replaced  by  French  eggs,  and  that  many  of  the  Italian  eggs  that 
formerly  went  to  Great  Britain  by  way  of  France  have  in  recent  years 
passed  through  Belgium.  The  statistics,  however,  do  not  bear  out 
this  statement,  as  the  imports  from  Italy  into  France  have  grown 
slightly  instead  of  decreasing.  When  we  examine  the  table  of  exports 
of  French  eggs,  we  see  that  the  decline  is  not  confined  to  one  }7ear  or 
even  to  recent  years,  but  covers  a  period  of  some  twenty  years.  The 
explanation  of  the  decline  in  1897  then  must  be  taken,  not  as  a  separate 
instance,  but  in  connection  with  a  cause  of  long  duration,  with  a  regular 
decline  that  has  operated  since  about  1880. 

In  order  the  better  to  understand  the  course  that  the  export  trade 
of  French  eggs  has  taken,  it  will  be  important  to  discuss  the  rise  of 
this  trade. 

The  exportation  of  French  eggs  seems  to  have  commenced  about 
1830 — fifty  years  before  any  other  county  seriously  thought  of  this 
source  of  income.  England  has  been  the  chief  market  and  France 
has  the  advantage  of  being  near  by.  As  early  as  1838  the  exports  of 
French  eggs  to  all  countries  had  a  value  of  5,000,000  francs.  During 
the  five  years  of  1838  to  1842  the  average  annual  exports  of  French 
eggs  amounted  to  5,600,000  francs.  The  highest  point  was  reached  in 
1875,  when  they  amounted  to  34,417,000  kilos  and  were  valued  at 
46,463,000  francs,  or  1.35  francs  (26  cents)  per  kilo.  This  amount  is 
about  twice  that  of  1897.  The  great  bulk  goes  to  England,  only  a 
mere  fraction  being  sent  to  other  countries. 

Previous  to  1880,  for  some  fort}r  or  fifty  years,  France  had  undis- 
puted supremacy  in  the  egg  markets  of  England.  Other  countries 
of  large  production  exported  elsewhere.  For  instance,  Italy  sent  her 
eggs  to  Germany,  France,  and  Switzerland;  Russia  exported  to  Ger- 
many. An  idea  of  what  these  countries  were  exporting  in  1880  may 
be  had  from  the  following  table: 

Exports  of  eggs  from  leading  countries  in  1880. 


Country  of  export. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

France  

.  .     kilos 

21,413,932 
250,969 
127,047,000 

Dozens. 
"35,689,887 
41,828,162 
10,587,250 

Dollars. 
5,  885,  044 
8,  072,  835 
929,060 
816,  969 
520,483 

Italy  

Russia  

Belgium  

Denmark  

scores.. 

1,992,055 

3,320,092 

"About. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  45 

France  first  found  Italy  as  a  competitor  in  the  English  market  in 
1883,  and  since  that  date  large  quantities  of  Italian  eggs  reach  England 
by  way  of  Belgium.  Russia  appears  to  have  entered  this  market  about 
1883,  when  she  sent  67,460  dozens. 

WHY    FRANCE    HAD    LED    IN    EGG    EXPORTS. 

The  preponderance  of  French  eggs  in  the  English  market  is  to 
some  extent  due  to  the  fact  already  stated,  that  the  country  is  very 
favorably  located  as  regards  the  English  market,  but  it  is  due  prin- 
cipally to  the  fact  that  the  French  were  the  first  to  organize  this 
industry.  Other  countries  were  geographically  as  near  England  then 
as  now,  and  could  have  taken  much  of  the  trade  had  the  industry  been 
better  developed  among  them.  So  long,  however,  as  the  methods  of 
transportation  were  comparatively  undeveloped,  it  was  hardly  possible 
to  ship  eggs  from  Russia,  Italy,  or  the  Balkan  States,  but  Ireland,  Bel- 
gium, Holland,  Denmark,  and  Germany  were  as  favorably  situated  as 
many  parts  of  France. 

The  situation  was  that  the  British  market  demanded  a  good  and  clean 
supply,  and  the  French  had  the  skill  and  aptitude  to  satisfy  that 
demand.  The  English  were  the  best  customers  for  eggs  in  Europe, 
and  during  the  decade  between  1880  and  1890  the  different  European 
countries,  one  by  one,  entered  this  market  with  ever-increasing  imports; 
but  France  continued  easily  as  first.  In  the  next  decade  the  struggle 
became  more  acute.  Denmark  had  in  the  meanwhile  perfected  a 
cooperative  system  for  this  industry,  and  other  countries  had  adopted 
similar  improvements.  With  improved  methods  of  collecting,  pack- 
ing, and  transporting,  a  larger  area  was  taken  in  and  could  compete 
in  the  best  markets.  This  stimulated  local  prices  and  at  the  same  time 
increased  the  exports. 

In  the  twent}7  years  following  1880  Denmark  increased  her  egg 
exports  to  England  sixfold;  Russia  between  1888  and  1901  increased 
hers  threefold.  In  the  face  of  this  competition  it  is  not  to  be  expected 
that  France  could  make  a  successful  stand  for  any  length  of  time. 
The  Danish  exports  to  England  are  increasing  from  year  to  year,  as 
are  those  from  other  continental  lands,  but  up  to  almost  the  close  of 
the  ecu  tiny  France  was  the  largest  exporter  of  oggs  to  England,  and 
she  held  the  trade  of  London  almost  exclusively.  In  1897  the  French 
exports  were  surpassed  by  Russia  in  volume  though  not  in  value. 
The  Belgian  and  German  exports  are  also  larger,  but  as  those  exports 
in  reality  conic  from  other  countries,  such  as  Russia,  Austria-Hungary, 
the  Balkan  States,  and  Italy,  they  should  not  be  considered  as  the 
product  of  the  countries  exporting  them.  They  are,  in  fact,  reexports 
from  the  countries  named. 

Thus  we  see  that  a  constantly  growing  improvement  in  the  methods 
of  collecting,  packing,  and  shipping,  and  a  better  knowledge  of  the 


46 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTEY. 


principles  of  the  cooperative  system  have  enlarged  the  area  of  the  com- 
petitive trade  and  resulted  in  an  enormous  increase  in  the  exports  of 
eggs  from  the  agricultural  countries. 

The  development  of  the  industry  in  countries  like  Denmark,  Russia, 
and  Hungary  brings  about  large  exports  from  those  places,  and  nat- 
urally so;  but  it  is  difficult  to  understand  why  the  French  exports  are 
decreasing,  especially  since  the  demand  of  the  English  market  is  con- 
stantly growing.  Since  1880,  for  instance,  the  imports  into  the 
United  Kingdom  have  grown  threefold — from  62,284,050  dozens  to 
189,667,950  dozens  in  1902.  One  of  the  reasons  for  this  decline  of 
French  exports,  it  has  been  stated,  is  that -the  consumption  by  the 
people  of  France  has  increased  more  rapidly  than  production.  Better 
prices  are  now  obtained  in  Paris  than  could  be  obtained  in  London. 
Moreover,  this  trade  is  not  so  profitable  as  it  has  been — not  so  profit- 
able as  other  kinds  of  exports. 

The  following  table  shows  the  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  for  the 
years  of  1877  to  1902,  inclusive.  The  table  also  shows  the  exporting 

country : 

Imports  and  exports  of  French  eggs,  1877  to  1902. a 

[From  Tableau  Decennal  du  Commerce  de  la  France,  1877-1896;  Tableau  General  du  Commerce, 

1896-1902.] 

IMPORTS. 


From  — 

1877. 

1878. 

1879. 

1880. 

1881. 

1882. 

Germany                   

Kilograms. 
311,765 

Kilograms. 
457,314 

Kilograms. 
445,  667 

Kilograms. 
624,639 

Kilograms. 
514,423 

Kilograms. 
868,  357 

Belgium  

1  ,  597,  518 

1,761,648 

1,877,121 

2,  055,  292 

2,365,041 

2,158,495 

A  ustria  

195,017 

89,  480 

350,  679 

346,  846 

97,441 

270,  467 

Italy 

3  789  918 

3  551  625 

4  532  169 

3  966  376 

4,  135  631 

4  497,606 

Other  countries 

172  642 

447  313 

277,  093 

163,866 

139  217 

324  093 

Total  quantity 

6  066  860 

7  482  729 

7,482  729 

7  157  018 

7  251,756 

8  119  018 

Value 

$1,639  266 

81,643,390 

81,949  625 

81  864,761 

81,889,445 

$2,193  759 

From— 

1883. 

1884. 

1885. 

1886. 

1887. 

Germany  

Kilograms. 
1,049,397 

Kilograms. 
\  ,  326,  839 

Kilograms. 
861,208 

Kilograms. 
937,114 

Kilograms. 
49iJ,  070 

Belgium  

2,871  593 

2  793  331 

3  168  574 

3,011,938 

3  362,547 

Austria  

316,889 

179,  138 

326,  347 

236,  762 

135,  431 

Italy  

4,087,722 

3,925  376 

4,163,064 

4,665,486 

3,  858,  552 

Turkey  

299,  122 

Other  countries  

191  991 

306  293 

938  917 

304  473 

561  820 

Total  quantity  

8  517,592 

8  630  977 

9  098  110 

9  145  773 

8  700  542 

Value  

82  383  648 

$2  387  394 

82  370  513 

82  206   118 

82  016  046 

«In  France  it  is  estimated  that,  on  an  average,  20  eggs  equal  1  kilogram  =  2.20  |>ounds. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


47 


Imports  and  exports  of  French  eggs,  1877  to  1902 — Continued. 
•    IMPORTS— Continued. 


From— 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

1892. 

Germany  

Kilograms. 
775,  421 

Kilograms. 
724,  143 

Kilograms. 
932,  471 

Kilograms. 
873,  425 

Kilograms. 
556,885 

Belgium 

3  251,998 

2,  827,  718 

3,523  323 

3,898  042 

3  082  140 

Austria 

297,  514 

645,  583 

561,128 

618,  792 

134,446 

Italy  

2,  020,  2<>8 

1,122,749 

996,534 

1,003,389 

1,387,451 

Turkey  

482,  897 

1,102,211 

1,904,688 

1,852,110 

928,  192 

Other  countries 

933,  625 

1,191,125 

1,299,023 

1  347  622 

396  634 

Total  quantity 

7  761,753 

7  613  529 

9  217  167 

9  593  380 

6  485  748 

Value           ...                 .... 

$1,797,622 

$1,  763,  293 

82,134,696 

81,646,374 

81,152  110 

From  — 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

1897. 

Russia  

JfHograms. 

Kilograms. 

Kilograms. 

Kilograms. 

Kilograms. 
2,  513,  794 

Germany  

833,845 

1,035,661 

384,826 

517,661 

346,  659 

3,  038,  887 

3  718  348 

3  679  927 

3,967  524 

4  306  976 

387,  171 

637,909 

421,641 

469  296 

436  400 

Italy 

1,505,405 

2,  980,  369 

1,756,962 

1  788  236 

2,240  077 

Turkey                        

599,  692 

1,419,990 

1,648,891 

1,708,513 

1,827,072 

Egypt 

152,  039 

Tripoli  

129,  300 

Other  countries  

276,  693 

1,071,519 

1,410,667 

1,817,012 

145,773 

Total  quantity  

6,641,693 

10,  863,  796 

9,  302,  914 

10,  268,  242 

12,  097,  990 

Value  

$1,299,793 

82,044,295 

81,540,507 

82,  009,  516 

82,  294,  751 

From  — 

1898. 

1899. 

1900. 

1901. 

1902. 

Russia                    

Kilograms. 
2,199,097 

Ktiograms. 
2,  562,  282 

Kilograms. 
3,  506,  087 

Kilograms. 
3,  728,  292 

Kilograms. 
4,306,348 

Germany        

1,348,769 

862,699 

808,062 

960,044 

1,444,488 

Belgium  

5,  229,  882 

5,249,193 

4,905,463 

4,827,306 

5,137,094 

Austria 

534,618 

289,884 

228,310 

472,  832 

1,008,127 

Italy                              

2,  453,  542 

2,  942,  981 

2,  368,  502 

2,  373,  188 

2,  645,  862 

Turkey  

2,  007,  358 

2,034,499 

2,  649,  254 

3,  249,  930 

4,494,952 

Egypt  

312,270 

267,  0% 

543,  267 

208,  542 

154,406 

Tripoli 

103,919 

Other  countries  

a^,  016 

212,  708 

289,  942 

491,122 

980,534 

Total  quantity  

14,544,471 

14,421,342 

15,  298,  887 

16,311,256 

20,  171  811 

Value    ..        

$2,  977,  754 

83,  082,  804 

83,  408,  579 

$3,  560,  470 

84,  251  ,  330 

48 


BUREAU    OV    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


Imports  and  ex-ports  of  French  eggs,  1877  to  1902 — Continued. 

EXPORTS. 


To— 

1877. 

1878. 

1879. 

1880. 

1881. 

1882. 

England                          

Kilograms. 
26,  194,  976 

Kilograms. 
25,  619,  930 

Kilograms. 
22,  886,  698 

Kilograms. 
20,  786,  472 

Kilograms. 
20,442  753 

Kilograms. 
18,948,871 

Germany    

192,  381 

197,  308 

174,  742 

149,  187 

143,  003 

126,195 

Belgium  

429,  571 

234,383 

236,  521 

121,030 

153,  372 

182,  318 

Spain  

15,790 

50,211 

227,860 

40,  860 

14,198 

26,  392 

237,  942 

243,  366 

240  292 

272,  659 

265  061 

268,  379 

Other  countries 

51,375 

48,  737 

37,  295 

43,  724 

34  048 

58,993 

Total  quantity 

27  122  035 

26,393  735 

23  803  408 

21  413  932 

21  052  435 

19  611  148 

Value 

$7  328,374 

86,  876,  940 

84,  363,  859 

$5,786  044 

$5  688  368 

85,  488,  180 

To— 

1883. 

1884. 

1885. 

1886. 

1887. 

England 

Kilograms. 
20  180,963 

Kilograms. 
19,  944,  154 

Kilograms. 
20,294  977 

Kilograms. 
20,472  314 

Kilograms. 
21  968  988 

Germany 

108,  196 

103,  174 

102,  908 

96  741 

Belgium                 .             .  . 

194  911 

262,  655 

372,  704 

271,809 

227,  131 

Spain                         ..        

412,172 

170,  458 

255,  723 

187,  605 

208,  407 

Switzerland  

274,  326 

311,838 

330,  706 

312,  181 

377,  120 

Other  countries  

168,309 

80,670 

109,  235 

102,917 

213,  406 

Total  quantity  .   . 

21,338,877 

20,  872,  949 

21,466,253 

21,443  567 

22,  995,  052 

Value      

85,971,685 

85,841,295 

85,  593,  032 

85,  173,  261 

85,  325,  654 

To— 

1888. 

1889. 

1890. 

1891. 

1892. 

England.       .        

Kilograms. 
18,  368,  557 

Kilograms. 
20,657  282 

Kilograms. 
21  098  520 

Kilograms. 
22,  286,  231 

Kilograms. 
22  313  928 

Belgium  

80,  791 

120,  172 

150,  887 

211,049 

141,258 

Spain  

784,414 

977,  503 

861,933 

951,676 

415,  795 

Switzerland 

345  517 

333  795 

352  493 

368  265 

353  618 

Other  countries 

203  510 

194  067 

215  646 

199  499 

358  630 

Total  quantity  

19,  782,  789 

22,  282,  819 

22  679,479 

24  016,720 

23  583,236 

Value 

84  581  694 

85  160  701 

85  252  567 

84  121  644 

84  189  260 

To— 

1893. 

1894. 

1895. 

1896. 

1897. 

England  

Kilograms. 
24,500  582 

Kilograms. 
12  755  098 

Kilograms. 
16  999  013 

Kilograms. 
''1  467  453 

Kilograms. 
17  126  299 

(iermimv  

84  733 

Belgium  

56  434 

41   147 

49  730 

46  769 

40  230 

Spain  

229  283 

685 

6  534 

1  392 

Switzerland  .... 

326  95'> 

194  755 

->'M  753 

3'K)  H7i 

294  817 

Italy  

4  492 

Other  countries  

160  178 

201  153 

247  726 

518  627 

62  168 

French  vessels  

147  117 

Total  quantity  

25  273  429 

13  19"'  838 

17  ">37  756 

22  364  114 

17  769  Kr>6 

Value  

85  706  '*93 

82  879  772 

8'i  564  181 

81  309  368 

83  341  961 

POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 

Imports  and  export*  of  French  eggs,  1877  to  1902 — Continued. 
EXPORTS— Continued. 


49 


To—                                 1898 

1899.                    1900.                    1901. 

1902. 

KUogrt 
England  12,  44 

ims.         Kilograms.         Kilograms.        Kilograms. 
9,617           12,183,691           12,343,336         10,998,333 
5,601                  93,428  '             110,160              128,673 
7,944                  14,250                  39,512                29,467 
S,658                202,333                270,629              286,344 
5,456                   1,610    3,222 

Kilograms. 
9,497,574 
126,808 
37,086 
238,  455 
295 
71,057 
331,643 

Germany  9 

Belgium  1 

Switzerland                                              22. 

Italy- 

Other  countries                                      4 

3,189                  56,346                  52,200                50,779 
%052                163,277                179,941              438,040 

French  vessels  14 

Total  quantity  ..                   12,98. 

J.517           12,714,935           12,995,778         11,934,858 

5,627          $2,698,890          $2,896,546        82,784,844 

1                                                     1 

10,302,918 
82,481,602 

Value  82,  63 

LIVE    AND    DEAD    POULTRY. 

French  imports  and  export*  of  lire  and  dead  poultry,  1877  to  1903. 
LIVE  POULTRY. 

Year. 

Imports.                                   Exports. 

Quantity.           Value.           Quantity. 

Value. 

1877  .•„  

Kilograms.          Dollars.          Kilograms. 
865,742    .'... 

'Dollars. 

687,  392 
676,  377 
773,  066 

1878 

'            845  198 

1879 

!        1  021  258 

1880 

971  ,  925 

756,  773 
1,300,881 
1,356,008 
1,441,993 
1,064,824 
1,616,422 
1,134,483 
1,281,384 
1,192,442 
972,  909 
970,  520 
997.470 
412,201 
352,  838 
254,921 
242,  198 
199,269 
151,976 
1-19,  722 
204,663 
171,385 
153,984 
139,  035 
151,312 

1881.... 

1         1 
.   .           3,129,842           1,208,119          3,370,207 

1882  

3,345,279          1,291,285       '  3,512,973 

1883  

2,666,409           1,029,233          3,735,734 

1884  

2,  653,  664              998,  706          2,  829,  344 

1885 

2  814  942           1  059  403          4,294  998 

1886 

2,806,534          1  056,239          3  014,436 

1887  

2  837,146  !        1,040,381           3,494,092 

1888  

.     '         2,215,512               816,588           3,091,818 

1889  

'        1,915,371              776,300          2,400,465 

1890  

1,950,120               809,202           2,338,884 

1891  

1  890  297              802  619          2  349  198 

1892«  

933  866              306  401           1  '256  326 

1893  

868  668               267  255           1   142  till 

1894  

<        1  247  093              385  102              776  962 

1895  

1  ''19  2'>6              341  301              809  6'>2 

1896  

1,185,316              320,272              688,321 

1897  

1  2^7  518              324  568              534  617 

1898  

1  276  491              357  207              493  806 

1899  

1  337  956              361  516              703  843 

1900  

1  276  317              361  104              570  228 

1901  

1  143  985               324  560               508  180 

1902  

1   167  476               333  478           1  503  'MO 

1903'-  

1  027   100              293  550               1%  3^0 

«  Previous  to  1892  game  and  turtles  were  included  with  poultry. 
'<  Preliminary  figures. 


7774— No.  65 


50 


BUEEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


French  imports  and  exports  of  live  and  dead  poultry,  1877  to  1903 — Continued. 

DEAD  POULTRY. 


Year. 


Imports. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Exports. 


Quantity. 


Value. 


Kilograms. 

1877 2,557,208 

1878 2, 899, 842 

1879 3,486,000 

1880 •. 3, 450, 389 

1881 3, 325, 359 

1882 3,851,565 

1883 3,484,489 

1884 3, 712, 071 

1885 3, 859, 841 

1886 3, 457, 008 

1887 3,732,536 

1888 3, 425, 638 

1889 3, 407, 741 

1890 3, 442, 483 

1891 3, 194, 302 

1892  a 844, 576 

1893 746, 009 

1894 984, 954 

1895 936, 060 

1896 901,841 

1897 928, 226 

1898 942, 029 

1899 951, 442 

1900 939, 643 

1901 954, 699 

1902 489, 626 

1903  b 917, 500 


Dollars. 

1,115,403 

1, 315, 223 

1,749,275 

1,598,220 

1,476,127 

1,724,577 

1,546,765 

1,576,145 

1,638,888 

1,467,846 

1,548,816 

1, 487, 583 

1,545,581 

1,594,558 

1,510,426 

391,208 

331, 153 

437,221 

379, 385 

348, 111 

349,338 

372, 713 

367,257 

380,837 

386,440 

149, 307 

178, 911 


Kilograms. 
2,512,409 
2, 563, 101 
2,924  015 
3,616,355 
2, 640, 978 
2, 881, 078 
2,511,312 
2, 610, 208 
2,503,523 
2,712,100 
3, 362, 688 
3,236,557 
3, 545, 584 
3,897,435 
3, 769, 755 
3,957,251 
4, 319, 823 
3, 2%,  624 
3, 159, 324 
5, 115, 062 
3, 790, 999 
4,118,838 
4,510,979 
4, 653, 833 
4,751,328 
4, 560, 570 
5,053,900 


Dollars. 
1,095,862 
1,162,494 
1,467,271 
1,675,096 
1, 172, 330 
1,290,032 
1,114,771 
1,108,294 
1,062,9% 
1,151,558 
1,395,347 
1,405,475 
1,608,100 
1,805,292 
1,782,529 
1,871,186 
1,959,256 
1,558,832 
1, 371, 936 
2,122,495 
1,536  492 
1,748,859 
1,871,831 
2, 020, 927 
2, 063, 264 
1,980,428 
2, 194, 603 


a  Previous  to  1892  game  and  turtles  were  included  with  poultry. 
b  Preliminary  figures. 

PATE    DE    FOIE    GRAS. 

French  imports  and  exports  of  pdte  defoie  gras,  1892  to  1903. 


Year. 


1892. 
1893. 
1894. 
1895. 


1897.. 
1898. . . 
1899... 
1900.. 
1901.. 
1902.. 
1903a. 


Imports. 


Quantity.       Value 


Pounds. 
79, 657 
101, 182 
101,185 
92,388 
92,807 
90,638 
83,182 
74,793 
74,244 
65,904 
46, 720 
26, 400 


Dollars. 
69,735 
88,579 
88,581 
80,879 
81,247 
79,348 
72, 821 
65,477 
64,997 
57, 695 
40,901 
50, 952 


Exports. 


Quantity.       Value 


Pounds. 
201,470 
248, 974 
225, 822 
214, 951 
254,201 
208, 520 
196, 574 
212,878 
222,501 
204,433 
204,990 
122, 100 


Dollars. 
176, 375 
217, 963 
197,694 
188, 177 
222, 539 
182, 647 
172,090 
186,363 
212, 157 
178, 969 
179, 457 
235,663 


Preliminary  figures. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS   IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  51 

THE   CONSUMPTION   OF   EGGS   IN   PARIS. 

The  number  of  eggs  consumed  in  a  large  city  like  London  or  Paris 
is  a  question  that  has  attracted  some  attention  in  recent  years.  Lon- 
don does  not  publish  any  satisfactory  data  on  this  subject;  Paris, 
however,  gives  full  and  extensive  information,  and,  being  the  largest 
city  on  the  Continent,  it  will  perhaps  serve  a  useful  purpose  for  com- 
parison. Although  the  amount  of  eggs  consumed  will  no  doubt  vary 
to  some  extent  in  different  cities  and  the  statistics  for  one  can  not  be 
applied  with  accuracy  to  another,  yet  it  is  true  that  correct  informa- 
tion in  regard  to  one  city  of  the  first  rank,  such  as  Paris,  will  serve  as 
a  check  to  the  wild  guesswork  often  found  in  periodicals. 


CITY    AND    MARKET   REGULATIONS. 


The  city  government  levies  a  small  tax  on  all  eggs  that  enter  the 
city  limits,  and  from  the  records  of  this  transaction  it  becomes  possible 
to  ascertain  the  total  receipts  of  eggs  in  Paris/'  This  tax,  or  octroi,  as 
it  is  called,  amounts  to  81  cents  per  100  kilos.  About  one-third 
of  the  eggs,  both  foreign  and  domestic,  go  to  private  dealers  in  the 
city.  The  remainder  is  taken  by  the  Halles  Centrales  (Central  Market), 
where  the  sale  is  subject  to  municipal  regulations.  The  market  fee 
for  eggs  is  20  cents  per  100  kilos.  The  common  package  (colis) 
for  French  eggs  is  a  wicker  basket  containing  1,000,  while  the  long 
foreign  eases  hold  440  more.  As  the  consignments  usually  contain 
some  spoiled  and  small  eggs,  there  is  a  board  of  inspectors  appointed 
by  the  prefect  of  police  to  ascertain  the  number  and  condition  of  the 
eggs. 

The  cost  of  counting  1,000  eggs  is  about  5  cents;  of  testing,  about 
12  cents;  and  of  passing  through  the  ring,  or  grading,  about  3  cents. 
Inspectors  make  no  charge,  however,  for  grading  if  there  are  fewer 
than  ten  small  eggs  in  a  consignment.  An  egg  passing  through  a 
ring  having  a  diameter  of  38  mm.  (about  \\  inches)  is  considered 
small.  The  inspectors  act  independently  of  buyers  and  sellers,  and 
the  police  seize  all  eggs  that  are  unfit  for  consumption.  The  number 
so  seized  is  about  1  in  every  50.  The  cost  of  counting  and  testing  is 
borne  by  the  purchaser  when  the  loss  falls  below  10  in  the  count  and 
15  eggs  in  the  test,  otherwise  the  seller  makes  good  the  loss.  The 
commission  men  charge  3  per  cent  for  handling  the  eggs;  they  sell 
about  40  per  cent  by  auction  and  60  per  cent  by  contract. 

An  ordinance  of  April  23,  1897,  forbids  the  importation  of  merchan- 
dise not  coming  directly  from  the  places  of  shipment  or  production. 
This  has  had  the  effect  of  eliminating  preserved  or  limed  eggs,  which 
were  bought  up  when  they  were  abundant  and  preserved  and  resold 
at  times  when  the  supply  was  scarce.  The  items  of  preserved  eggs 
given  in  the  official  reports  before  this  date  have  not  appeared  since. 

"Annuaire  stytistique  de  }a  Ville  de  Pane, 


52  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

THE   SOURCES   OF   SUPPLY. 

Nearly  all  the  receipts  of  eggs  in  the  Halles  Centrales  are  domestic. 
Only  about  one  one-fifteenth  is  foreign.  As  the  foreign  eggs  are 
smaller,  requiring  from  25  to  30  to  make  a  kilogram,  they  bring  from 
$1.54  to  $1.93  less  per  1,000  than  French  eggs.  The  table  below  gives 
the  domestic  and  foreign  sources  of  the  supply  of  the  market  in  1897: 

Sources  of  supply  of  eggs  for  the  Paris  market  for  1897. 

France:  Kilograms. 

West — Normandy,  Brittany 4, 555,  301 

Lyons — Burgundy,  Bourbonnais 1,  346,  234 

North— Picardy 1, 452, 982 

East— Brie,  Champagne 737,  300 

Orleans — Beauce,  Orne,  Chatellerault,  Nivernais,  Vendee,  Midi 6,503,600 

Paris— Private  parties 372,  626 

Preserved— South  and  west 204,  800 

Foreign: 

Austria-Hungary 57, 980 

Egypt 56,  459 

Germany , 209,  680 

Russia '     708, 144 

Spain 5, 100 

Tunis 217, 020 

Turkey 23, 100 


Total 16, 450,  326 

The  average  price  for  1,000  eggs  in  1897  was  $16.81.  The  average 
price  per  kilogram  for  the  same  year  was  27.6  cents.  A  kilogram 
represents  about  15  large,  17  medium,  or  22  small  eggs.  As  the  dif- 
ferent grades  do  not  enter  in  the  same  proportion  into  the  total 
receipts,  the  official  estimate  is  20  eggs  to  the  kilogram. 


TOTAL    RECEIPTS    AT    PARIS. 


The  total  supply  of  Paris  was  20,566,873  kilograms  in  1885, 
22,324,103  kilograms  in  1890,  24,589,962  kilograms  in  1895,  and 
30,732,964  kilograms  in  1900.  This  last  figure  should  be  discounted 
somewhat,  as  the  increase  is  beyond  the  normal  and  was  due  to  the 
occurrence  of  the  world's  exposition  in  that  year.  We  see  from  these 
figures  that  there  is  a  normal  increase  of  about  half  a  million  a  year. 
The  home  production  supplies  nearly  all  the  demand.  In  the  late  fall 
and  winter,  when  French  eggs  are  more  scarce  than  at  any  other  time, 
foreign  eggs  make  up  the  deficiency,  but  seldom  appear  on  the  market 
during  the  summer  season.  The  duty  on  eggs  is  $1.93  (general  tariff) 
or  $1.16  (special  tariff)  per  100  kilograms;  a  few  eggs  come  in  at  the 
general  tariff  of  $1.93,  while  the  great  mass  enter  at  the  conventional 
rate  of  $1.16  per  100  kilograms.  The  records  of  the  port  of  Paris 
give  the  amount  of  foreign  eggs  subject  to  tariff.  From  about 


POULTRY  AND  EGG9  IN  EUROPEAN  COUNTRIES. 


53 


1,000,000  kilograms  in  1S90  it  had  grown  to  4,000,000  kilograms  in 
1900.  Foreign  eggs,  as  a  rule,  are  small,  requiring  from  25  to  30  to 
the  kilogram,  as  stated  above,  and  they  bring  from  $1.54  to  $1.93  less 
per  1,000  than  the  domestic.  They  also  come,  as  a  rule,  by  slow 
freight  and  are  from  three  to  eight  days  old  when  they  arrive. 

At  first  the  imports  seem  to  have  come  from  a  few  near-by  countries, 
but  as  the  years  went  by  they  were  shipped  from  greater  and  still  greater 
distances.  About  1890  Austria-Hungary  was  the  only  country  export- 
ing to  Paris.  Soon  Russia,  Germany,  and  Italy  came  in.  Egypt 
appeared  for  the  first  time  in  1896  and  Tunis  and  Turkey  in  the  fol- 
lowing year.  Russia  has  gradually  outstripped  the  others.  The  seiz- 
ures by  the  police  in  the  Central  Market  since  1892  average  30,529 
kilograms  and  the  reshipments  992,111  kilograms.  It  should  be 
observed,  however,  that  the  reshipments  have  in  the  same  period 
decreased  from  about  1,215,000  to  684,100  kilograms.  Therefore, 
after  deducting  the  seizures  by  the  police  and  the  reshipments,  the 
per  capita  consumption  in  1891  was  180.6;  in  1896  it  was  193.6;  and 
in  1900  it  was  221.  As  already  stated,  some  deduction  should  be  made 
for  the  exposition  year  of  1900. 

The  table  below  shows  for  the  year  of  189T,  by  months,  the  total 
receipts  of  eggs  at  Paris  and  also  the  amount  of  these  that  went  to  the 
Central  Market.  The  difference  between  the  total  receipts  and  those 
that  went  to  the  Central  Market  are  the  eggs  that  went  to  private 

dealers: 

Receipt*  of  eggx  at  Paris  in  1897,  by  months. 


Month. 

Total  re- 
ceipts at 
Paris. 

Receipts 
of  foreign 
origin 

Receipts  at  Halles  Centrales  (Cen- 
tral Market). 

Of  domestic 
origin 

Of  foreign 
origin. 

Total. 

January  

Kilograms     Kilor/ram* 
1,534,809  i  

Kilograms 
1,188,687 

1.538,648 
2,238,455 
1,883,573 
1,533,123 

Kilograms. 
118,100 
10,430 
6,700 

Kilograms. 
1,256,787 
1,549,078 
2,  245,  155 
1,883,573 
1,533,123 
1,320,893 
1,277,035 
1,049,466 
968,  £59 
1,140,712 
1,047,148 
1,178,497 

February                                            

2,  222,  594  i  

March                                     

3  553  158 

April                                 

3,472,453    -- 

May                            .             

2,  552,  925 
2,099  699 

j  une                        

1  ,  320,  893 

July 

2,103,781 
1,730,659 
1.695  713 

1,277,035 
1,045,760 
842,  599 
784,  536 
757,  100 
812,  42s 

3,700 
126,260 
356,  176 
290,  048 
366,069 

October                                                                    1  873  668 

Decem  be  r    

2,013,818    

Total                   .            

26,528,642 

2,820,500  j  15,172,843 

1,277,483 

16,  450,  326 

54 


BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


Table  showing  maximum  and  minimum  prices  per  1,000  eggs  of  the  several  grades  at  the 
Central  Market,  Paris,  by  months. 


Month. 

Extra  size   (15  per 
kilogram). 

Medium  size  (17  per 
kilogram). 

Small    size   (22   per 
kilogram). 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

Maximum. 

Minimum. 

1897. 

825.56 
23.  47 
18.67 
18.23 
17.  12 
18.09 
19.70 
22.  42 
23.88 
28.18 
30.72 
30.05 

$22.10 
20.86 
16.36 
15.  91 
15.  29 
16.58 
17.47 
19.47 
20.  41 
24.  75 
26.66 
26.08 

$21.09 
19.17 
15.37 
15.22 
13.84 
14.47 
15.97 
18.05 
17.67 
21.81 
23.  10 
22.  85 

$18.65 
16.71 
13.24 
13.24 
11.74 
12.  13 
13.60 
15.24 
15.88 
17.37 
18.10 
18.03 

$16.90 
15.81 
12.21 
11.56 
9.91 
11.05 
11.66 
14.10 
13.79 
14.75 
15.22 
15.68 

f!3.27 

12.99 
9.61 
8.95 
8.39 
8.59 
9.12 
10.42 
9.95 
10.75 
12.  47 
12.81 

March                           .        

April                       

May                .  .                 

June.  ...                

July     

August  

September  

October  

December 

Average  

23.  01 

20.16 

18.  22 

15.33 

13.56 

10.61 

1900. 
January  

28.13 
24.  59 
19.84 
18.83 
19.37 
21.09 
21.94 
25.37 
25.01 
28.82 
31.61 
32.04 

24.  95 
21.81 
17.58 
16.86 
17.34 
18.24 
18.% 
21.23 
22.06 
25.05 
26.14 
27.17 

21.42 
19.09 
15.55 
14.86 
15.  41 
16.09 
16.65 
18.07 
18.76 
22.45 
22.88 
22.  52 

18.83 
16.71 
13.65 
12.81 
13.  47 
13.67 
14.27 
15.90 
15.69 
19.30 
18.99 
18.82 

16.10 
14.01 
11.63 
11.11 
11.55 
11.56 
12.16 
13.40 
12.  28 
15.07 
15.42 
15.47 

12.79 
11.14 
9.08 
9.43 
9.10 
9.09 
9.75 
10.24 
9.40 
12.35 
11.19 
11.93 

February  

March  

April  

May 

June  

July 

August  

September  

October 

November 

December 

Average  .  .  . 

24.76 

21.45 

18.65 

16.00 

13.31 

10.46 

Table  showing  the  imports  of  eggs,  both  domestic  and  foreign,  into  Paris  for  a  series  of 

years. 


Year. 

Eggs  of 
domestic 
origin. 

Eggs  of  for- 
eign origin. 

Total. 

Reship- 
ments 
(about). 

1885  

Kilograms. 

Kilograms. 

Kilograms. 
20,  566,  873 

Kilograms. 

1886 

20,721,699 

1,009,100 

1887  

21,405,044 

909,  100 

1888  

20,  739,  985 

729,  900 

21,469,885 

900,000 

1889  

21,610,372 

969,  700 

22,  780,  072 

1,200,000 

1890  

21,176,203 

1,147,900 

22,324,103 

1,110,000 

1891 

23,250  509 

1892  

23,  432,  947 

1,215,000 

1893  

22,378  265 

1,170,900 

23,  549,  165 

1,110,000 

1894  

22  194,896 

2,  283,  700 

24,478,596 

1,140,000 

1895  

23  035  264 

1  554  700 

24  589  962 

1  120  000 

1896  

23  200  602 

2  468  500 

26,669  102 

1,135,900 

1897  

23,708  142 

2  820  500 

26,528  642 

901,900 

1898  

23  675  656 

3  239  400 

26  914  956 

863  600 

1899  

26  236  622 

4  006  300 

27  242  922 

771  900 

1900  

26  602  544 

4  129  700 

30  732  964 

684  100 

1901  

5  219  600 

1902... 

7.219.100 

POULTRY    AND    EGOS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


55 


The  following  table  shows  what  disposition  is  made  of  these  eggs. 
The  Central  Market  (Halles  Centrales)  alone  makes  a  separate  show- 
ing of  the  domestic  and  foreign  produce: 

Distribution  and  price  of  eggs  received  at  Paris  for  a  series  of  years. 


Year. 

Central 

Of  domes- 
tic origin. 

market. 

Of  foreign 
origin. 

Private 
dealers. 

Seized  by 
police. 

Price  per 
kilo- 
gram. 

Price  per 
1,000 
eggs. 

1886                                     

Kilograms. 

Kiloi/rams. 

Kilograms. 
4,580,284 
5,  588,  776 
6,  157,  895 
6,  273,  788 
6,  777,  533 
7,305,823 
7,519,815 
7,401,538 
7,500,169 
8,076,898 
8,601,324 
9,  101,  088 
10,  078,  316 
10,  901,  381 
10,  983,  622 
12,579,651 

Kilograms. 

Francs. 
1.36 

Francx. 

1886 

1887  

1888  

37,  031 
36,657 
35,586 

1889 

15,  499,  645 
14,544,590 
15,288,861 
15,741,065 
15,416,031 
15,082,752 
15,447,440 
15,  637,  814 
15,172,843 
14,058,199 
13,764,214 
15,  528,  433 

502,  894 
573,  690 
441,832 
290,  344 
C32,  965 
1,318,946 
541,200 
930,  200 
1,277,483 
1,955,376 
2,494,380 
2,  606,  160 

1890 

1891 

1892 

32,  743 
33,108 
30,  624 
30,638 
28,081 
28,  719 
30,039 
30,981 
31,790 

1893 

1894                               .          

1.33 
1.43 
1.41 
1.43 
1.45 
1.46 
1.48 

81.69 
87.  21 
85.05 
87.12 
89.59 
81.03 
80.91 

1895  ...            

1896  

1897 

1898 

1899 

1900 

ITALY. 

Agricultural  cooperation,  along  the  lines  followed  in  Denmark  and 
Ireland,  is  unknown  in  Italy,  except  in  Lombardy  and  Venetia,  where 
some  attempts  have  been  made  with  excellent  results.  The  general 
principle  governing  these  cooperative  societies,  or  unions,  is,  first,  the 
establishment  of  local  unions;  these  have  their  head  in  a  central  union. 
There  are  about  300  such  unions,  and  they  have  a  membership  of  about 
45,000.  The  unions  and  their  membership  are  increasing.  Instructors 
are  appointed  to  travel  from  place  to  place  to  give  such  advice  as  seems 
necessary.  No  unions  have  yet  been  established  to  lend  support  to 
the  poultry  and  egg  industry,  those  so  far  organized  being  for  the 
purpose  of  purchasing  fertilizers  and  other  things  needed  on  the  farm. 
It  is  probable  that  the  success  of  the  unions  in  other  lines  will  soon 
suggest  the  value  of  their  work  in  the  interests  of  poultry  and  egg 
production. 

The  statistics  of  imports  and  exports  which  have  been  compiled  for 
Italy  relate  to  special  commerce;  that  is,  the  imports  are  those  for 
consumption  only  and  the  exports  are  those  of  domestic  origin. 

The  imports  of  eggs  have  never  been  on  a  large  scale;  the  largest 
amount  was  in  1!H)2,  when  their  value  was  $244,251.  So  far  as  the 
statistics  compiled  for  this  article  show,  there  has  always  been  a  heavy 


BUREAU    OB"    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


export  trade  in  eggs.  This  trade  was  worth  $6,781, 1S2  in  1880,  while 
in  1902  the  value  was  $8,310,821.  This  amount  was  exceeded  by  the 
three  years  immediately  preceding  1902. 

In  the  matter  of  live. poultry  Italy  again  has  the  balance  of  trade 
on  her  side.  The  imports  have  not  been  large,  yet  the  amount  for 
1902  is  very  much  larger  than  that  for  any  previous  year  since  1885. 
The  exports  have  been  large  all  along,  the  average  for  the  long  series 
of  years  shown  in  the  table  being  close  to  $1,500,000. 

The  trade  in  dead  poultry  is  not  very  great.  The  value  of  the 
imports  in  1902  was  $7,961,  while  the  exports  for  that  year  were 
valued  at  $795,546.  This  latter  amount  has  been  exceeded  but  once, 
and  that  but  slightly,  in  1900. 

•     Italian  imports  and  exports  of  egfjs,  1880  to  1903. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1880                                                                     

Kilograms. 
77,200 
175,  100 
190,200 
175,  700 

Dollars. 
20,859 
43,933 
47,  521 
40,083 
124,  647 
103,  191 
91,772 
68,  021 
43,  763 
40,  821 
37,  183 
32,  316 
26,  977 
22,  897 
25,  517 
33,655 
32,  482 
52,820 
62,231 
54,219 
65,190 
106,  875 
244,251 
392,  291 

Kilograms. 
25,0%,  900 
21,830,900 
25,  490,  000 
23,  716,  700 
29,  775,  300 
28,874,400 
23,402,600 
19,376,900 
18,i089,  500 
14,155,400 
15,285,200 
17,507,7QO 
17,840,400 
23,  652,  400 
30,676,200 
24,  679,  200 
26,331,200 
29,  399,  000 
31,489,100 
33,  797,  700 
35,739,600 
33,  048,  200 
28,  707,  500 
25,  505,  100 

Dollars. 
6,781,182 
5,  477,  374 
5,  395,  441 
5,  949,  520 
7,470,623 
7,234,587 
5,645,877 
4,674,677 
4,364,092 
3,571,590 
3,837,057 
4,392,682 
4,476,156 
5,934,387 
7,  696,  659 
6,191,011 
5,490,114 
6,  283,  368 
7,  292,  876 
8,  479,  843 
9,  656,  840 
9,248,539 
8,  310,  821 
7,413,725 

1881        .                                                   

1882                                                                     

1883 

1884.                                     .            

496,800 
411,300 
380,400 
240,  500 
181,400 
162,  700 
148,  200 

1885...            

1886  

1887  

1888                                                                                       

1889                                                                       -     

1890  

1«91                .                                                       

128,800 
107,  600 
91,300 
101,700 
122,100 
153,000 
248,800 
268,  700 
216,100 
240,600 
381,900 
843,700 
1,355,100 

1892..   .         .            ..                

1893  

1894  

1895 

1896  

1897... 

1898  

1899  ... 

1900  

1901  

1902  

1903n  

"Preliminary  figures. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


57 


Italian  import*  and  e.rportx  of  lire  poultry,  /#<*>'/)  to  19O3. 


Imports. 

Kxports. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

fUogramt. 

1885                                                                                                           72,  900 

Dollars. 
21,105 
19,  590 
16,  674 
18,993 
19,211 
19,833 
21,756 
33,142 
16,  060 
17,924 
23,465 
21,052 
19,570 
12,931 
12,093 
17,  136 
18,962 
37,735 
24,954 

Kilograms. 
6,106,700 
5,  932,  600 
5,313,600 
4,875,000 
4,  787,  500 
4,767,500 
4,890,300 
4,909,200 
5,845,600 
6,970,300 
6,934,000 
6,676,200 
6,806,500 
6,618,300 
7,  789,  500 
6,688,900 
4,948,700 
5,  363,  900 
5,001,800 

Dollars. 
1,767,890 
1,602,989 
1,435,735 
1,223,041 
1,266,753 
1,288,179 
1,274,167 
1,279,092 
1,556,917 
1,856,470 
1,846,802 
1,  739,  484 
1,707,751 
1,796,665 
1,954,386 
1,678,245 
1,193,874 
1,345,803 
1,264,951 

1886                                                                                                           75,  500 

1887  61,600 

1888  75,700 

1889  71,100 

1890  73,400 

1891  83,  500 

1892                                                                                                        -127  200 

1893                                             •                                                              60,  300 

1894                                                                                         "                 67  300 

1895  88,100 

1896  ...                                       .   .            .80.800 

1897  78,000 

1898  53,600 

1899  48,200 

1900  68,  300 

1901                                                                                                            78  600 

1902                                                                                                          150  400 

1903"  ...                                                .                         .                        171  200 

»  Preliminary  figures. 
Italian  imports  and  export  x  of  dead  poultry,  1885  to  1903. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Quantity.      Value. 

Quantity.       Value. 

Kilograms. 
1885  9,400 

Dollar*. 
2,266 
1,477 
2,  592 
4,972 
4,954 
4,758 
3,598 
4,416 
4,539 
4,261 
5,991 
5,066 
3,378 
4,512 
10,802 
8,048 
6,576 
7,961 
11,869 

Kilograms. 
1,872,200 
1,285,500 
1,  137,  900 
888,700 
933,900 
865,  300 
1,018,400 
1,  554,  500 
1,607,700 
2,015,000 
2,  092,  000 
2,  064,  900 
1,626,800 
2,  135,  100 
2,  569,  000 
2,834,100 
2,551,700 
2,748,000 
2,  453,  400 

Dollars. 
649,  502 
421,  773 
373,  345 
274,431 
306,  413 
283,906 
284,  482 
480,030 
496,  457 
622,  232 
646,010 
597,  789 
493,  561 
576,  904 
718,  935 
820,  472 
714,093 
795,  546 
710,259 

1886  5,  600 

1887                                                                                                             7  900 

1888          ^                                                                                                 16  100 

1889                                                                                                           15  100 

1890  14500 

1891  .                .                '          12300 

1892  14,300 

1893  14,700 

1894  13,800 

1895  *  19,400 

1896..  17,500 

1897  12,  500 

1898  16,700 

1899  38,600 

1900  27,  800 

1901  23,500 

1902  .                                                        27500 

1903"  11  000 

«  Preliminary  figures. 


58  BUREAU    OF   ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

GERMANY. 

The  statistics  for  Germany  are  from  Government  official  reports, 
and  they  are  given  for  the  "German  customs  district."  This  district 
comprises  the  26  allied  States  and,  in  addition,  the  Grand  Duchy  of 
Luxembourg,  the  two  Austrian  communities  of  Jungholz  and 
Mittelburg,  bordering  on  the  Bavarian  territory,  while  separate  parts 
of  the  German  Empire  (the  territory  of  the  free  ports  of  Hamburg, 
Bremerhaven,  and  Geestemunde,  the  Prussian  island  of  Heligoland,  a 
part  of  the  Hamburg  community  of  Cuxhaven,  and  some  of  the  rural 
communities  of  Baden  on  the  Swiss  borders)  are  excluded. 

There  are  no  data  at  hand  to  show  what  the  German  production  of 
poultry  and  eggs  is,  but  the  table  of  exports  and  imports  indicates 
very  decidedly  that  this  production  is  not  sufficient  to  meet  the  needs 
of  the  German  people.  The  imports  of  chickens  in  1897  (the  first 
year  that  they  were  reported  separate!}7)  amounted  to  7,468,800  kilo- 
grams, or  16,431,360  pounds,  having  a  value  of  $2,399,664.  In  the 
years  following  there  was  a  steady  increase,  so  that  the  amount  of 
imports  of  chickens  in  1903  was  10,609,800  kilograms,  having  a  value 
of  $2,752,470.  It  will  be  observed  that  the  increase  in  values  has  not 
kept  pace  with  the  quantities. 

We  find  similar  large  imports  of  live  geese  and  dead  poultry.  "The 
imports  of  live  geese  into  Germany  in  1902  are  nearly  a  half  larger  in 
quantity  than  the  total  number  that  were  in  the  United  States  in  1900. 
The  Russian  statistics  show  a  total  export  of  live  geese  in  1902  amount- 
ing to  5,203,000  in  number,  and  the  German  reports  show  that  most  of 
these  are  consumed  in  the  latter  country. 

The  imports  of  dead  poultry  are  also  very  large,  and,  as  will  be 
noticed  in  the  table,  have  gradually  increased  in  both  quantity  and 
value.  In  1897  the  value  of  such  imports  was  $1,239,028  and  in  1902 
it  was  $2,045,372. 

The  total  value  of  imports  of  poultry — chickens,  geese,  other  live 
poultry,  and  dead  poultry — in  1903  was  $11,741,492.  When  we  add 
to  this  sum  the  value  of  the  imports  of  eggs,  egg  yolks,  and  egg 
whites,  we  have  a  grand  sum  of  $38,680,950. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  59 

German  imports  and  exports  of  lire  and  dead  poultry,  1895  to  1903. 
IMPORTS. 


Year. 

Live  chickens. 

Live  geese. 

Other  live  poultry. 

Dead  poultry. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1895 

h'tluni'iim.*. 
«25,  448,  900 
"24,  502,  700 
7,468,800 
8,363,500 

8,  925,  600 
9,  615,  500 
9,  373,  500 
10,594,600 
10,609,800 

JMlarK. 
4,457,740 
4,041,240 
2,399,664 
2,  279,  084 

2,421,650 
2,  608,  950 
2,498,524 
2,  746,  282 
2,752,470 

h'i/iiiiriniii--. 

Dollar*. 

KUiarrnnif. 

l>nfl<n-*. 

Kilograms. 

2,  858,  400 
3,364  800 

Dollars. 
877,  506 
1,041,012 
1,239,028 
1,225,462 

1,333,514 
1,583,652 
2,042,516 
2,050,370 
2,016,336 

1896 

1897.   ..   . 

18,073,800 
20,311,600 
Number. 
6,  875,  810 
6,220,055 
6,  431,  247 
7,254,145 
7,814,723 

2,494,954 
4,176,662 

4,  254,  726 
4,  219,  264 
4,301,132 
5,  568,  724 
6,  007,  596 

2,114,500 
2,251,600 

2,  435,  700 
2,  438,  900 
2,268,300 
2,  669,  400 
2,  876,  200 

709,002 
754,  222 

817,054 
818,  720 
758,  744 
894,404 
965,090 

4,067,200 
4,119,100 

4,482,500 
5,158,500 
6,601,400 
6,714,100 
6,618,500 

1898  

1899 

1900 

1901  
1902 

1903. 

EXPORTS. 


Year. 

Live  chickens. 

Live  geese. 

Other  live  poultry. 

Dead  poultry. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1895 

Kilograms. 
272,  600 
279,  100 
111,900 
168,500 

169,  200 
191,400 
135,300 
131,200 
75,  700 

Dollars. 
14,288 
88,298 
53,312 
80,206 

79,844 
91,154 

64,498 
58,256 
36,938 

Kilograms. 

Dollar*. 

Kilogram*. 

Dollars. 

Kilograms. 
133,  500 
179,800 
227,800 
115,000 

285,600 
264,700 
285,900 
272,  600 
307,700 

Dollar*. 
69,97( 
77,  111 
101,86< 
68,5* 

125,  18! 
115,901 
123,  04( 
117,33- 
132,.  TO 

18% 

1897 

97,500 
102,200 
Number. 
50,  605 
53,309 
55,373 
55,329 
99,444 

20,944 
36,414 

90,440 
63,546 
65,926 
72,  352 
130,186 

54,100 
38,300 

47,600 
46,300 
58,000 

52,600 
49,700 

25,704 
18,326 

22,610 
22,134 
25,228 
24,990 
23,122 

1898 

1899 

1900 

1901 

1902 

1903 

a  For  the  years  of  1895  and  18%  game  and  geese  are  included  under  the  head  of  "Chickens."    After 
18%  chickens  only  are  given,  while  geese  are  given  under  a  separate  head. 

German  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  and  egg  whites,  1895  to  1903. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Eggs  (including  yolks). 

Egg  whites. 

Eggs  (including 
yolks)  . 

Egg  whites. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1895  

Kilograms. 

83,565,000 
89,  029,  800 
99,  590,  200 
105,835,800 
112,578,600 
118,  169,  700 
116,486,500 
128,  153,  800 
124,  776,  900 

Dollars. 
17,  104,  108 
18,858,406 
20,  384,  224 
17,002,482 
21,568,988 
24,051,090 
24,202,934 
27,386,898 
26,667,900 

Kiloi. 
198,800 

171,000 
213,  300 
261,000 
243,  900 
235,600 
270,000 
506,700 
1,  140,  700 

Dollars. 
187,316 
162,  792 
213,248 
298,214 
276,  698 
246,805 
224,910 
241,094 
271,  658 

Kilograms. 

771,900 
745,300 
694,100 
544,800 
497,500 
613,  100 
698,800 
506,700 
1,035,500 

Dollars. 
176,358 
175,  644 
158,  508 
110,194 
107,  100 
140,  082 
162,078 
230,622 
245,  568 

Kilofframg. 
208,400 
136,100 
107,000 
117,500 
208,200 
263,500 
289,  400 
379,000 
446,  600 

Dollars. 
170,888 
80,920 
69,  144 
67,  016 
119,000 
37,604 
55,216 
90,202 
106,386 

18% 

1897  
1898. 

1899. 

1900  

1901 

1902 

1903. 

BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


AUSTRIA-HUNGARY. 

In  discussing  the  trade  of  Austria-Hungary  it  is  necessary  to  explain 
that  the  officials  of  that  Government  use  such  terms  as  "special  trade" 
and  "transit  trade."  The  special  trade  includes  the  imports  for  con- 
sumption and  the  exports  of  domestic  production.  The  transit  trade, 
as  the  phrase  suggests,  is  that  which  passes  through  the  country,  going 
principally  from  Russia,  Italy,  Roumania,  and  Servia  to  Germany, 
Great  Britain,  Belgium,  and  Switzerland.  The  general  trade  includes 
both  the  special  trade  and  the  transit  trade.  The  accompanying  table 
shows  a  large  business  in  the  handling  of  eggs,  and  by  inference  a 
very  large  production.  The  same  terms  with  the  same  meanings  are 
used  in  Italy.  In  every  year  shown  the  exports  have  exceeded  the 
imports,  and  in  1902  this  difference  was  that  between  49,514,100  and 
120,324,700  kilograms,  or  70,810,600  kilograms.  It  does  not  appear 
from  the  information  at  hand  why  there  should  be  any  imports  what- 
ever when  so  many  eggs  are  exported;  but  the  records  show  that  most 
of  the  imported  eggs  are  from  Russia,  and  we  learn,  in  studying  the 
egg  market  of  England,  that  the  Russian  eggs  are  quite  small  as  com- 
pared with  those  from  other  countries.  So  the  explanation  probably 
lies  in  this,  that  the  larger  eggs  of  domestic  production  are  exported 
from  Austria-Hungary  and  the  smaller  and  cheaper  Russian  eggs  are 
imported  for  consumption. 

Austro-Ifnnf/arian  imports  and  exports  of  eggs,  1880  to  1903. 


Special  trade. 


Year. 


Imports. 


Exports. 


Transit. 


Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1880                     

Kilograms." 
2,  480,  100 

Dollars. 
181,246 

Kilograms. 
27,  262,  800 

Dollars. 
•2,  213,  739 

Kilograms. 

1881                         

2,  975,  000 

217,413 

29,662,800 

2,  408,  619 

1882 

3,  287,  000 

240,  214 

24,  540,  700 

1  992  705 

1883                        

1,030,000 

75,  272 

33,  884,  100 

2,751,389 

1884                     

951,200 

88,823 

27,  577,  200 

2,575,159 

1885                     

1,043,100 

97,404 

38,025,200 

3,  450,  793 

1886                 

693,  700 

70,412 

45,  372,  700 

4,605,329 

1887                  

459,500 

42,840 

45,504,200 

4,  248,  483 

1888               

451,900 

42,549 

48,  335,  500 

4,907,821 

1889          

012,  700 

60,538 

55,  757,  100 

5,  889,  170 

1890            

613,  100 

60,571 

60,995,800 

6,  566,  199 

1891                

802,000 

81,403 

55,  880,  100 

(i,  465,  952 

24,  219,  600 

1892               

830,000 

91,504 

65,  249,  800 

9,501,085 

25,  384,  000 

1893  

1,781,500 

178,  247 

66,  299,  900 

9,560,084 

22,241,200 

1894  

20,  707,  100 

2,  942,  489 

90,207,400 

15,375,160 

19,675,300 

1895 

40,  300,  400 

5  407,480 

91,527,500 

15  978,871 

8,  838,  100 

1896 

37,  220,  100 

5  289  046 

88,  670,  700 

10,200,137 

12,  753,  500 

1897.                       

37,108,500 

5  423  778 

94,453,400 

16,831,857 

12,164,000 

1898  

40,  454,  500 

5,  746,  226 

95,  796,  100 

16,  239,  291 

15,  392,  400 

1899...  x  

42,309,500 

5,  550.  883 

104,047,500 

17,  299,  192 

19,  596,  400 

1900  

39,  349,  400 

5,  563,  155 

108,  787,  500 

20,  150,  285 

18,  015,  900 

1901  

42,  078,  500 

6,  972,  505 

105,  885,  500 

19,  597,  676 

21,  457,  500 

1902.  

49,514,100 

7,  046,  704 

120,  324,  700 

22,  764,  181 

31,076,900 

1903>> 

52  377  800 

7  559  923 

112  611  500 

21  740  375 

"The  French  officials  estimate  that  20  eggs  of  average  size  are  equal  to  1  kilogram. 
b  Preliminary  figures. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


61 


Previous  to  1898  the  values  were  given  in  gulden,  worth  40.6  cents, 
but  since  1898  and  including  that  year  they  are  stated  in  kronen, 
worth  20.3  cents. 

The  next  table  shows  the  imports  of  live  and  dead  poultry  and  the 
exports  of  all  kinds  of  poultry.  The  imports  are  comparatively  small, 
but  the  exports  are  enormous  for  so  small  a  country,  showing  a  gradual 
increase  for  the  years  shown  in  the  tabular  statement. 

Auistro- Hungarian  imports  and  exports  of  poultry,  all  kinds,  1891  to  1903. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports.  • 

Live  poultry. 

Dead  poultry. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1891  

Kilograms. 
1,409,800 
1,750,500 
1,667,000 
2,  037,  100 
2,891,100 
3,  300,  500 
3,  802,  700 
4,631,200 
5,423,900 
6,  325,  400 
7,261,000 
6,813,800 
5.  597.  100 

Dollars. 
286,236 
452,  690 
378,  798 
4%,  132 
704,410 
803,880 
926,  492 
1,128,274 
1,140,860 
1,323,154 
1,345,484 
1,344,063 
1.022.511 

Kilograms. 
74,000 
69,500 
74,000 
90,900 
100,  200 
90,400 
107,  100 
99,000 
95,000 
96,300 
90,400 
86,400 

Dollars. 
15,022 
15,022 
15,834 
18,270 
14,  210 
14,616 
19,  488 
16,849 
15,  428 
15,225 
18,270 
17,458 

Kilograms. 
6,  520,  400 
7,001,500 
7,428,000 
8,481,500 
7,773,900 
7,  626,  500 
9,024,700 
9,  708,  700 
10,881,200 
13,338,100 
10,013,900 
12,222,300 

Dollars. 
1,588,272 
2,  059,  232 
2,  272,  788 
2,  582,  566 
2,524,914 
2,415,294 
2,  748,  814 
2,  838,  840 
3,  975,  958 
4,341,561 
2,032,842 
2,481,127 
3,233,374 

1892 

1893 

1894                                            .     . 

1895            

18%.         .              

1897  

1898  

1899  

1900  

1901  

1902  

1903a  

«  Preliminary  figures. 

The  information  given  herewith  concerning  poultnT  raising  in  Hun- 
gary is  from  an  article  by  G.  Parthay,  in  Ungar^is  Landwirthschaft, 
1896.  He  first  states  that  Hungary  has  the  necessary  conditions  for 
poultry  raising,  and  that  the  profits  of  the  industry  may  be  increased 
greatly  by  a  more  thorough  knowledge  of  the  subject.  The  breeds  of 
poultry  now  in  use  are  second  or  third  class.  Excepting  the  turkeys, 
which  were  imported  from  America,  all  breeds  have  been  known  there 
for  ages. 

It  is  hardly  possible  that  the  Hungarians  brought  poultry  with  them 
from  Asia,  but  the}r  no  doubt  acquired  some  soon  after.  The  produce 
of  poultry  was  an  article  of  trade  in  1300.  An  order  of  the  King  in 
1498  prohibited  the  export  of  poultry.  In  1514  an  order  of  the  King 
required  bondmen  to  pay  their  landlords  12  chickens  and  2  geese 
annually.  From  that  time  till  1S50  there  was  no  progress  in  poultry 
raising.  After  this  latter  date  some  improvement  was  noticed. 

It  was  estimated  in  the  early  sixties  by  Baron  Cjorning  that  there 
were  about  30,000,000  fowls  in  the  country  and  that  they  were  worth 
$12,060,000.  The  exports  at  that  time  amounted  to  $40,000  or 
$50,000,  and  rose  to  $400,000  in  the  "  seventies."  About  this  latter  date 
the  Bistrizer  society  of  Saxon  farmers  organized  -and  arranged  for  a 


62  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

poultry  fair.  This,  so  far  as  known,  is  the  first  poultry  show  held, 
but  its  action  was  soon  imitated  by  other  agricultural  societies.  A 
national  poultry  show  was  held  at  Budapest  in  1874,  but  as  yet  no 
really  important  improvement  had  been  made.  In  1877  a  society  of 
practical  poultry  raisers  was  formed,  and  its  influence  for  progress 
was  felt  at  once,  and  improvements  were  rapid  thereafter.  Numbers 
were  multiplied,  and  the  census  for  1884  gave  the  following  statistics 
of  poultry  on  the  peasant  farms  and  on  large  estates: 

On  peasant  farms:  Number. 

Chickens 18,937,043 

Turkeys ' 444,  225 

Geese 4,  854, 049 

Ducks 2, 155,  672 

Doves 1,  768, 182 

On  large  estates: 

Chickens 2,  744,  145 

Turkeys 238, 998 

Geese 776,  830 

Ducks 519,  098 

Doves  . .  478, 426 


Total 32,  916,  668 

This  census  was  taken  in  September,  after  the  principal  sales  for 
the  summer  had  been  made. 

In  1890  courses  of  instruction  in  poultry  raising  were  given  for  the 
first  time,  and  in  1891  a  course  in  poultiy  breeding  was  given  in  the 
preparatory  schools.  In  1892  a  market  was  established  in  the  Tier- 
garten  at  Budapest,  and  eggs  of  purebred  fowls  were  distributed 
free  of  charge  to  breeders.  In  1893  the  agricultural  department  dis- 
tributed poultry  among  16  associations  and  79  teachers  in  the  public 
schools.  In  1894  this  department  gave  33  free  courses  of  instruction 
on  poultry  breeding  by  means  of  traveling  teachers,  and  500  fowls 
were  distributed.  All  this  has  tended  toward  a  general  interest  in  the 
matter  of  poultry  raising. 

In  recent  years,  and  especially  since  1890,  the  Government  has  shown 
greater  interest  in  this  industry  by  organizing  fairs,  spreading  infor- 
mation, and  introducing  better  breeds. a  It  has  ascertained  what  foreign 
breeds  would  best  acclimate  in  the  country  and  from  its  breeding 
stations  has  exchanged  cocks  and  eggs  of  these  for  an  equal  number 
of  those  of  the  common  kind,  thus  placing  excellent  birds  within  easy 
reach  of  the  peasants.  The  Government  recommended  the  Plymouth 
Rock  and  Langshan  chickens,  the  French  and  bronze-colored  turkeys, 
the  Pekin  ducks,  and  the  Embden  geese  as  being  best  adapted  to  the 
country. 

"Die  Lamlwirtschaft  Ungarns,  by  Dr.  Alexander  V,  Matlekoyits,  Leipzig,  1900, 
pp.  276  ft. 


POULTRY  AND  EGGS  IN  EUROPEAN  COUNTRIES. 


63 


According  to  the  agricultural  enumeration  of  1895  there  is  a  slight 
decrease  since  1884:  in  the  number  of  poultry,  while  the  exports  have 
trebled  in  the  same  period.  It  is  difficult  to  find  a  satisfactory  expla- 
nation of  this. 

NETHERLANDS. 

The  table  below,  which  gives  the  imports  and  exports  of  eggs  in  the 
trade  of  Netherlands  for  the  period  of  1880  to  1901,  shows  that  the 
general  trend  has  been  upward  for  the  imports  and  also  for  the  exports. 
The  exports  at  no  time  have  been  so  large  as  the  imports. 

Prussia  up  to  the  year  1895  furnished  very  much  more  than  half 
of  the  total  imports  of  eggs,  but  in  1896  Russia  nearly  equaled  the 
Prussian  supply,  increasing  her  supply  from  911,686  kilograms  in 
1895  to  2,001,861  kilograms  in  1896.  The  Russian  supply  exceeded 
the  Prussian  supply  after  this  date,  except  for  the  one  year  of  1900. 
Most  of  the  so-called  Prussian  eggs,  however,  come  from  Russia  and 
Austria-Hungary,  and  are  termed  Prussian  in  the  reports  because 
custom-house  officials  are  in  the  habit  of  crediting  merchandise  to  the 
country  last  touched  without  inquiring  into  its  origin. 

Imports  and  exports  for  Netherlands  of  eggs,  1880  to  1902. 


Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1880        

Kilograms." 
4,179,445 
5,210,220 
6,567,039 
4,988,352 
4,137,653 
4,154,174 
3,912,185 
4,093,119 
4,555,618 
4,579,206 
4,191,497 
5,095,755 
4,540,637 
4,286,822 
4,244,753 
4,488,635 
5,019,372 
6,075,279 
7,156,428 
6,196,034 
5,941,414 
5,827,788 
5,284,003 

Dollars. 
736,062 
942,529 
1,985,977 
902,  393 
738,501 
751,490 
707,714 
740,  445 
824,  111 
828,  378 
758,  242 
921,822 
821,398 
773,  822 
767,  876 
811,994 
908,004 
1,099,018 
1,294,598 
1,120,862 
1,074,802 
1,054,247 
955,876 

Kilograms. 
284,  034 
562,527 
361,852 
281,308 
248,315 
434,223 
344,739 
346,979 
574,  268 
551,485 
491,017 
495,113 
467,  957 
489,836 
677,217 
1,127,543 
1  .  989,  659 
2,533,657 
4,240,159 
3,  687,  548 
3,623,392 
3,  747,  915 
3,803,533 

Dollars. 
51,382 
101,761 
65,459 
50,888 
44,920 
78,551 
62,363 
62,  769 
104,285 
99,764 
88,825 
99,566 
84,654 
88,612 
122,508 
203,  972 
359,929 
458,338 
767,044 
677,078 
655,470 
677,470 
688,059 

1881  

1882      

1883  

1884 

1885                                                                                .     ... 

1886              ...                   .                       

1887  

1888    • 

1889  

1890 

1891  ...                                                           

1892  

1893 

1894  

1895  

18% 

1897  

1898  

1899  

1900  

1901  

1902  

The  French  officials  estimate  that  20  eggs  of  average  size  are  equal  to  1  kilogram. 


64 


BUKEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 


BELGIUM. 


The  statistics  of  Belgium  are  full  of  interest  as  showing  the  import 
and  export  trade  for  a  long  series  of  3rears. 

Value  of  the  imports  <nid  exports  for  Belgium  of  eggs,  1831  to 


Year.         Imports. 

Exports. 

Year. 

Imports. 

Exports. 

1831                       $579 

$55,  970 

1866..  . 

8110  782 

$346  821 

1,H3'>                       772 

61,567 

.  1867 

105  764 

339  680 

1833                       772 

66,  585 

1868  

105  764 

339  873 

1834                      2,  895 

41,495 

1869  

165,980 

409  925 

1835                      3,  088 

35,  898 

1870  

212  107 

359,  559 

1S36             965 

31,073 

1871  

170  567 

430,  390 

1837               1,930 

29,  529 

1872  

318  257 

429,  460 

1838            .          2,  316 

33,  647 

1873  

541,944 

382,  333 

1839          3,744 

40,916 

1874  

818,  127 

477,  492 

1840           '•     5,  397 

40,  337 

1875  

815,  232 

466,288 

1811          6,562 

47,864 

1876  

1,612,129 

987,  195 

1842        8,878 

40,530 

1877  

1  ,  253,  728 

1,103,381 

1843         9,  071 

29,  722 

1878   

2,  157,  870 

937,  787 

1844                       8  492 

37,  635 

1879 

1  444  219 

987  388 

1845       9,  071 

47,  771 

1880  

1,394,039 

816,  969 

1846    10,036 

42,  460 

1881  

1  ,  373,  295 

1  ,  740,  667 

1847                      7  141 

61,  567 

1882 

1  356  973 

1  839  097 

1848                      7  527 

62  339 

1883 

1  672  924 

1  003  600 

1849                     10  422 

86  078 

1884 

1  757  844 

1  187  529 

1850                     11  773 

125  .585 

1885 

1,556  352 

2  951  163 

1851                     12  352 

138  574 

1886 

1  567  932 

1  075  589 

1852                     10  422 

164,050 

1887 

1  495  943 

249  935 

1853    ....               8  878 

241  443 

1888 

1  226,647 

934,  506 

1854   9  071 

288,  728 

1889 

1  213,391 

869  272 

18,55  8  299 

445  058 

1890 

1  570,634 

834,  532 

1856  8  299 

137  609 

1891    .... 

1,589  355 

1,028,883 

1857  9,  6,50 

125,  257 

1892  

1  ,  353,  895 

916,  557 

1858                     11  001 

119  467 

1893 

1  398  759 

824  689 

1859  15  613 

129  696 

1894 

1  476  643 

1  053  008 

1860  17,563 

191  842 

1895 

2  042  519 

1  489  767 

1861  22  581 

2'>9  670 

18% 

2  242  467 

1,746  763 

1862  28757 

242  601 

1897 

2  319  474 

2  065,  486 

1863  33,  1% 

261,901 

1898 

1  971,688 

1,819,183 

1864  ...      .           55  <170 

316  90(i 

1899 

1  891  207 

1  759  967 

1865  78  944 

2(56  147 

1900 

1  962  424 

I,505f979 

RUSSIA. 

The  exports  of  Russian  eggs  have  been  increasing  greatly  during 
recent  years,  and  the  possibility  of  that  country  for  expansion  in  the 
production  of  poultry  and  eggs  seems  to  be  unlimited.  The  informa- 
tion upon  production,  consumption,  methods  of  shipment,  etc.,  is  very 
meager.  Some  tables  are  given  of  exports  of  poultry  and  poultry 
products  over  the  European  frontiers,  but  nothing  is  available  on  the 
conditions  in  Asiatic  Russia, 


POULTKY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES. 


65 


The  first  table  gives  the  quantity  and  value  of  the  exports  of  eggs 
for  a  series  of  years,  showing  an  increase  in  value  from  $5,226,772  in 
1888  to  $17,917,880  in  1901.  A  study  of  these  figures,  however,  in 
connection  with  similar  statistics  from  other  exporting  European 
countries,  shows  that  the  Russian  eggs  are  considered  an  inferior  article 
and  usually  rank  last  in  the  market  quotations.  The  eggs  are  not  pro- 
duced and  prepared  for  shipment  with  that  scrupulous  care  that  char- 
acterizes the  work  of  Denmark,  France,  and  Ireland. 

The  second  table  shows  that  a  business  of  no  mean  importance  is 
dope  in  the  matter  of  exporting  egg  yolks  and  egg  whites.  The  busi- 
ness in  1902  amounted  to  more  than  $90,000. 

Russia  is  one  of  the  leading  geese-raising  countries,  and  most  of  the 
exports  of  this  product,  both  alive  and  dead,  go  to  Germany.  The 
table  shows  figures  of  exports  of  geese  and  other  live  poultry  com- 
bined for  several  years,  but  since  1899  the  geese  have  been  given 
separately.  The  number  exported  in  1900  was  5,302,832.  That  is 
only  300,000  less  than  the  number  of  geese  in  the  United  States  in  the 
same  year.  But  it  should  be  pointed  out  in  this  connection  that  a 
very  large  number  of  geese  are  slaughtered  before  shipment,  and 
these  form  a  considerable  part  of  the  exports  shown  in  the  table  of 
"Exports  of  dead  poultry  and  game."  It  is  not  possible  to  show  how 
much  of  the  quantities  given  in  the  table  is  geese  or  how  much  is 
game,  but  it  is  quite  certain  that  considerably  more  than  half  of  the 
total  is  geese. 

Russian  exports  of  eygs  by  European  frontiers,  1888  to  1903. 


Year. 

Dozens. 

Value. 

Year. 

Dozens. 

Value. 

1888 

56,  518,  055 

85,  226,  772 

1896  

122,312,592 

811,270,366 

1889 

50  437,036 

5,  058,  204 

1897 

141,894,0-54 

13,  047,  793 

1890.                       

62,  .545,  728 

6,  889,  555 

•1898  

157,015,917 

15,887,438 

1891 

69,  090,  458 

6.  733,  640 

1899  .           ... 

138,  607,  250 

14,553,704 

1892 

60,  929,  131 

5,888,000 

1900  

146,  234,  084 

15,  835,  214 

1893 

64,  926,  359 

6,  779,  287 

1901  

162,  250,  000 

17,917,880 

1894              

78,924,002 

8,  059,  422 

1902  

185,  750,  000 

a!9,886,725 

1895 

116  767,903 

10  249,848 

1903 

230  666,666 

«  26,  265,  000 

a  These  figures  are  preliminary  and,  in  addition  to  the  exports  by  the  European  frontier,  include 
those  to  Finland  and  from  the  Caucasus. 

7774— No.  65—04 5 


66 


BUEEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTEY. 


Russian  exports  of  egg  yolks  and  egg  whites  by  European  frontiers,  1888  to  1902. 


Year. 

Egg  yolks. 

Egg  whites. 

Year. 

Egg  yolks. 

Egg  whites. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1888  

Pounds. 
2,333,586 
2,  779,  690 
2,  724,  004 
2,  000,  480 
1,136,946 
2,214,449 
2,  325,  063 
3,200,117 

Dollars. 
156,  911 
168,354 
171,034 
115,  844 
65,360 
141,  992 
177,  743 
284,  514 

Pounds. 
324,  150 
378,  825 
428,  156 
325,811 
269,  259 
345,  349 
353,655 
492,  040 

Dollars. 
25,838 
26,  524 
31,  429 
20,390 
15,  047 
14,  858 
22,181 
28,536 

1896... 

Pounds. 
2,428,094 
2,  831,  693 
2,  307,  043 
1,306,749 
1,  648,  739 
1,256,227 
1,336,181 

Dollars. 
149,  889 
201,  351 
157,  656 
84,305 
106,  997 
73,  051 
80,855 

Pounds. 
422,847 
432,  959 
406,  091 
177,206 
221,012 
94,905 
144,452 

Dollars. 
20,258 
20,118 
18,244 
10,948 
12,700 
5,000 
10,300 

1889 

1897 

1890 

189» 

1891     .  . 

1899 

1892        .   . 

1900 

1893  

1901 

1894  

1902 

1895  

Russian  exports  of  geese  and  other  poultry,  1888  to  1902. 


Year. 

Geese  andother  poultry. 

Year. 

Geese  and  other  poultry. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1888  

Number. 
2,  759,  533 
3,  731,  066 
3,  819,  657 
4,  424,  178 
4,834,413 
4,507,447 

Dollars. 
1,240,402 
1,845,000 
2,014,807 
2,090,367 
2,  336,  623 
2,285,964 

18 
18 
18 
18 
18 

94  

Number. 
5,050,414 
6,028,003 
5,  406,  725 
6,  215,  067 
7,  562,  709 

Dollars. 
2,  582,  524 
2,  587,  735 
2,  409,  000 
2,  552,  120 
3,  270,  154 

1889     . 

95  . 

1890.  . 

96 

1891  

97  

1892  

98  

1893  

Year. 

Geese. 

Other  poultry. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1899  

Number. 
4,999,488 
5,302,832 
5,  650,  715 
5,  203,  000 

Dollars. 
2,  504,  676 
2,  662,  239 
2,865,981 
2,  642,  465 

Number. 
2,  547,  323 
2,  778,  154 
2,  501,  311 
3,130,000 

Dollars. 
769,354 
690,277 
602,  803 
777,650 

1900                                                   

1901                                          

1902  <i                           

oThese  figures  are  preliminary  and,  in  addition  to  the  exports  by  the  European  frontiers,  include 
those  to  Finland  and  from  the  Caucasus. 


Russian  exports  of  dead  poultry  and  game,  1888  to  1902. 


Year. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

Year. 

Quantity. 

Value. 

1888  

Number. 
2  371,940 

Dollars. 
471,  540 

1896  

Number. 

2,271,476 

Dollars. 
876,  704 

1889  

2,  898,  378 

704,278 

1897  

2,  639,  984 

1,064,386 

1890 

1  927  486 

616  229 

1898                 

2,  340,  968 

749,  856 

1891  

1  689  250 

390  025 

1899          

,2,736,192 

791,3*5 

1892  

1,316,553 

287  527 

1900  

3,  135,  502 

1,065,135 

1893  

1,157,517 

411,345 

1901  

al6,913,018 

1,431,914 

1894  

935  565 

245  594 

1902  b 

o!3  361,810 

997,  040 

1896  

1,433,521 

495,  116 

«  Pounds. 

bThe«e  figures  ure  preliminary  tmd,  in  addition  to  the  exports  by  the  European  frontiers,  include 
those  to  Finland  and  from  the  Caucasus,  and  for  1902  are  for  poultry  only. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  67 


APPENDIX  I.— RULES    GOVERNING   THE    SOCIETY   FOR  POULTRY 
BREEDING  IN  DENMARK. 

[Translation  by  Andrew  Fossum,  Ph.  D.] 
A.  OBJECT. 

SECTION  1.  The  society,  which  has  its  headquarters  at  Aarhus,  has  for  its  object  the 
promotion  of  poultry  keeping  in  Denmark. 

B.  MEMBERS. 

SEC.  2.  (a)  Honorary  members;  (6)  extraordinary  members,  who  pay  at  least  50 
kroner  ($12.40)  once  for  all,  or  10  kroner  ($2.68)  annually;  and  (c)  ordinary  mem- 
bers, who  pay  2  kroner  (53.6  cents)  a  year,  in  foreign  lands  4  kroner  ($1.07)  a  year. 
Members  are  classified  into  county  circuits.  Application  for  membership  is  made 
either  to  the  directors  or  representatives  of  the  society  or  to  the  office  of  the  society 
at  Aarhus.  Resignations  must  be  sent  in  writing  to  the  head  office.  A  member  will 
be  obliged  to  pay  the  fee  for  the  current  year,  unless  he  sends  in  his  resignation 
before  the  first  of  January.  In  case  a  member  refuses  to  pay  the  fee  when  it  is  due 
his  name  is  struck  from  the  membership  list.  By  a  unanimous  vote  directors  may 
strike  the  names  of  members  from  the  list.  An  excluded  member  may  appeal  to  the 
representatives.  The  annual  fee  is  due  in  January  and  is  collected  in  February 
through  the  mails.  Twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  fees  from  members  goes  to  the 
county  circuit.  Apportionments  are  made  on  April  1  and  December  31  of  each  year. 
Honorary  members  are  admitted  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  representatives  present 
at  a  meeting,  on  the  recommendation  of  the  directors. 

C.  DIRECTORATE. 

SEC.  3.  The  directorate  consists  of  seven  members,  of  whom,  as  a  rule,  there  are 
three  from  Jutland,  one  from  Fyn,  two  from  Sjalland  and  Bornholm,  and  one  from 
Lolland-Falster.  These  choose  from  their  own  number  a  president  and  a  vice-presi- 
dent for  one  year.  The  president,  vice-president,  and  secretary  are  the  executive 
committee.  The  directors  define  the  authority  of  the  executive  committee.  Of  the 
directors,  two  retire  the  first  two  years  by  lots,  and  three  the  third  year  in  the  same 
manner,  and  so  on  by  turns. 

SEC.  4. — The  president,  or  in  his  absence  the  vice-president,  represents  the  society 
and  summons  the  executive  committee  and  directorate  to  meetings,  which  must  also 
be  held  when  more  than  one-half  of  either  make  such  a  demand.  Meetings  are 
called  at  least  one  week  in  advance  by  letter,  in  which  is  contained  also  the  order 
of  the  day.  The  meetings  may  act  when  more  than  one-half  of  their  members  are 
present.  The  president  presides  at  all  the  meetings,  also  at  those  of  the  representa- 
tives, and  orders  the  payment  of  bills  against  the  society. 

SEC.  5.  The  secretary,  who  is  also  treasurer,  is  chosen  by  the  directorate.  In  case 
of  a  change  of  secretary  the  salary  and  office  expenses  are  decided  on  by  the  repre- 
sentatives on  the  recommendation  of  the  directorate.  The  secretary  is  to  keep  a 
membership  list,  conduct  the  correspondence,  keep  the  minutes  of  the  meetings, 
edit  the  reports,  receive  the  annual  fees  and  charges  for  advertisements,  and  present 
the  financial  statement  for  the  year,  which  is  to  go  to  the  auditors  at  the  latest  in  the 
January  quarter. 

SEC.  6.  The  society  appoints  an  adviser,  who  is  nominated  by  the  directors,  but 
whose  salary  is  determined  by  the  representatives  on  the  recommendation  of  the 
directors.  The  directors  instruct  him  as  to  his  duties. 

D.  COMMITTEES. 

SEC.  7.  The  following  standing  committees  are  appointed:  (1)  The  ]>eriodical, 
library,  lectures,  prize  competitions,  adviser,  etc.  (2)  Distribution  of  breeds,  breed- 


68  BUEEAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

ing  centers,  feeding  of  young  chickens,  trade  in  the  products  of  poultry,  breeding, 
awarding  of  prizes  to  well-conducted  and  profitable  poultry  runs,  etc.  (3)  Poultry 
shows.  The  committees  consist  of  three  members  each,  of  whom  the  directors  elect 
one.  The  committees  choose  their  own  chairmen  and  distribute  the  work  among 
themselves.  The  committees  meet  as  often  as  the  chairmen  find  it  necessary. 

SEC.  8.  Besides  traveling  expenses  over  the  shortest  route  by  first-class  steamer 
and  second-class  railway,  directors  and  members  of  committees  receive  an  allowance 
of  6  kroner  ($1.61)  per  day  while  in  the  service  of  the  society. 

E.  AUDITING. 

SEC.  9.  The  representatives  elect  annually  two  auditors  to  revise  the  current 
expenses  of  the  year.  The  financial  year  is  the  same  as  the  calendar  year.  The 
auditors  must  complete  their  work  at  the  latest  one  month  after  receiving  the  finan- 
cial statement. 

SEC.  10.  "The  financial  statement,  with  any  notes  concerning  it,  is  returned  to  the 
president,  who  allows  the  secretary  an  opportunity  to  express  himself  regarding  these 
before  he  presents  it  to  the  representatives  for  adoption. 

F.  REPRESENTATIVES. 

SEC.  11.  The  representative  body  is  the  supreme  authority  in  the  society.  It  is 
composed  of  the  presidents  and  vice-presidents  of  the  county  circuits,  with  the  sec- 
retaries as  substitutes  (Copenhagen  is  considered  one  county),  and  consists  of  twelve 
members  from  Sjiilland,  two  from  Bornholm,  four  from  Fyn,  two  from  Lolland- 
Falster,  and  twenty  from  Jutland;  total,  forty. 

SEC.  12.  As  a  rule  the  society  holds  one  meeting  a  year.  The  call  is  to  appear  in 
the  Periodical  for  Poultry  Breeding  at  least  two  weeks  before  the  meeting.  The 
meeting  is  legal  if  it  has  been  summoned  in  due  form  and  more  than  one-half  of  its 
members  are  present.  Extraordinary  meetings  of  the  representatives  may  be  sum- 
moned by  the  president,  who  is  required  to  do  so  when  more  than  one-half  of  the 
presidents  of  the  county  circuits  demand  it. 

SEC.  13.  The  meeting  is  held  in  the  early  summer,  usually  in  connection  with  the 
annual  exhibition. 

SEC\  14.  Every  member  of  the  society  is  admitted  to  the  meeting  of  the  society. 
Only  members  of  the  directorate,  representatives,  and  honorary  members  are  entitled 
to  take  part  in  the  discussions  and  vote  at  the  meeting. 

SEC.  15.  The  directors  shall  present  at  the  regular  meetings  of  the  representatives 
(a)  the  audited  financial  statement  of  the  last  year  for  adoption;  (b)  the  plan  of  work 
for  the  society  in  the  coming  year;  (c)  the  budget;  (d)  the  election  of  two  auditors 
for  the  current  year  in  accordance  with  section  9;  (e)  the  election  of  directors  in 
accordance  with  section  3;  (/)  the  election  of  committees  according  to  section  7, 
and  (g)  the  election  of  judges  for  the  next  exhibition. 

SEC.  16.  Any  representative  may  make  inquiries  of  the  directorate  and  send  in, 
either  from  himself  or  from  other  members,  subjects  for  discussion  at  the  meeting. 
These  must,  however,  reach  the  directorate  four  weeks  before  the  meeting  of  the 
representatives.  Subjects  arriving  later  should  be  reported  to  the  meeting,  but  can 
not,  without  the  consent  of  the  directorate,  be  discussed  or  voted  upon.  So  far  as 
possible,  the  directors  should  print  and  forward  to  the  representatives  before  the 
meeting  the  subjects  for  discussion.  The  directorate  determines  the  order  in  which 
the  subjects  for  discussion  are  to  be  taken  up. 

SEC.  17.  The  representatives  can  by  a  majority  vote  pass  resolutions  in  any  matter 
pertaining  to  the  society.  Voting  is  done  by  show  of  hands  or,  if  five  of  the  members 
of  the  meeting  so  desire,  by  ballot. 

SEC.  18.  The  representatives  traveling  by  first-class  steamer  or  second-class  rail- 
way over  the  shortest  route  to  and  from  the  meetings  have  their  expenses  paid. 
Their  board  is  also  paid  by  the  county  circuit  in  accordance  with  the  decisions  of  the 
circuit  a»  to  details. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  69 

G.  PERIODICAL. 

SEC.  19.  The  head  and  county  circuits  have  a  common  organ,  which  is  sent  free  to 
all  members.  It  appears  at  least  twice  a  month.  The  directors  choose  the  editor 
and  the  representatives  determine  his  salary  in  accordance  with  the  recommendation 
of  the  directors. 

H.  CHANGE  OF  RULES. 

SEC.  20.  In  case  of  doubt  as  to  the  correct  interpretation  or  application  of  the 
rules  the  directors  decide,  subject  to  appeal  to  the  representatives. 

SEC.  21.  Only  a  meeting  duly  summoned  and  attended  by  the  representatives  of 
more  than  one-half  of  the  counties  can  by  a  two-thirds  majority  vote  make  changes 
in  or  additions  to  these  rules.  In  case  a  meeting  can  not  legally  act,  a  new  meeting 
is  called,  which  may  decide  the  matter  by  a  simple  majority  vote. 

Thus  adopted  at  the  meeting  of  the  representatives  at  Slagelse  in  1902. 


By-Laws  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding-  in  Denmark — Circuit  Society 

in  —      —  County. 

A.  THE  OBJECT  OF  THE  CIRCUIT. 

SECTION  1.  The  object  of  the  circuit  is  to  work  for  the  promotion  of  poultry  breed- 
ing in county,  and  this  is  sought  by  exhibitions,  pamphlets,  meetings,  lectures, 

and  in  any  other  way  that  the  directors  find  suited  to  their  purpose.     The  circuit  is 
a  section  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark. 

B.  MEMBERS  OF  THE  SOCIETY. 

SEC.  2.  On  application  to  the  directors  of  the  circuit,  anyone  may  become  a  mem- 
ber of  the  circuit  and  thereby  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark. 
Members  may  be  excluded  by  the  unanimous  vote  of  the  directorate;  yet  an  excluded 
member  may  appeal  to  the  first  general  meeting. 

SEC.  3.  The  means  of  the  circuit  are  as  follows:  Twenty-five  per  cent  of  the  fees  of 
the  members  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  —  —  County;  honorary  prizes 
from  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark  to  the  exhibition  of  the  circuit; 
gifts  received  on  application  from  savings  banks,  etc.,  in  the  county;  State  subsidies 
for  the  annual  exhibition,  obtained  chiefly  through  local  agricultural  societies;  other 
contributions  from  persons  interested  in  the  work. 

SEC.  4.  Every  new  member  receives,  on  paying  his  initiation  fee,  a  copy  of  the 
rules  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark  and  by-laws  of  the  circuit. 

C.  THE  DIRECTORATE. 

SEC.  5.  The  directorate  consists  of  at  least  three  members,  chosen  from  the  total 
number  of  members  of  the  circuit.  Of  their  own  number  they  choose,  for  one  year 
at  a  time,  a  president,  vice-president,  and  secretary  and  treasurer.  The  president 
and  vice-president,  with  the  secretary  as  a  substitute,  are  representatives  in  the 
Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark. 

SEC.  6.  The  president  summons  the  directors  to  meetings  one  week  in  advance; 
and  meetings  must  be  held  when  more  than  one-half  of  the  directors  demand  it  in 
writing.  In  order  that  the  resolutions  of  the  directors  may  be  valid,  more  than  one- 
half  of  the  directors  must  be  present.  The  president  presides  and  directs  the  discus- 
sions in  the  meetings  of  the  directors  and  in  the  general  meetings.  He  looks  after 
the  general  interests  of  the  circuit  and  decides  current  matters  which  he  does  not 
deem  sufficiently  important  to  lay  before  the  directors  as  a  body.  In  the  absence 
of  the  president  the  vice-president  takes  his  place. 


70  BUBEAU    OF   ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

SEC.  7.  The  secretary  of  the  circuit,  who  is  also  treasurer,  conducts  the  correspond- 
ence of  the  society,  keeps  the  minutes  of  all  the  meetings,  arranges  shows  and 
exhibitions,  provides  office  room,  and  keeps  the  archives  of  the  society,  and,  under 
the  direction  of  the  president,  transacts  all  the  business  of  the  society;  keeps  a 
correct  list  of  the  members  of  the  society,  which  list  is  always  to  be  on  hand  at  the 
meetings.  He  makes  up  the  accounts  of  the  year,  which  must  be  sent  to  the  audi- 
tors at  the  latest  one  month  after  the  close  of  the  financial  year.  The  auditors  return 
the  audited  accounts  to  the  president,  who  allows  the  secretary  an  opportunity  to 
express  himself  regarding  the  report  of  the  auditors,  and  submits  the  accounts  to  the 
directorate  and  to  the  general  meeting. 

D.  THE  GENERAL  MEETINGS  AND  THE  MEETINGS  FOR  DISCUSSION. 

SEC.  8.  The  circuit  holds  an  annual  general  meeting  in  the  spring,  usually  in  the 
month  of  March.  The  announcement  appears  at  least  two  weeks  in  advance  in  the 
Poultry  Journal,  which  is  the  paper  of  the  society  and  which  is  sent  free  to  all 
members.  The  other  meetings  of  the  circuit  are  announced  in  the  same  way.  The 
president  may  call  extraordinary  meetings,  and  is  obliged  to  do  so  when  more  than 
one-half  of  the  directorate  or  twenty  of  the  members  of  the  society  request  it  in 
writing. 

SEC.  9.  A  plan  for  the  activity  of  the  circuit  in  the  following  year  is  submitted  to 
the  general  meeting  with  the  necessary  information  as  to  the  financial  condition  of 
the  society.  There  is  to  be  submitted  to  the  general  meeting,  furthermore,  (a)  the 
audited  accounts  of  the  last  financial  year  for  adoption;  (b)  in  case  an  exhibition 
and  prizes  are  proposed,  a  program  worked  out  in  detail  as  to  divisions  into  classes 
and  size  of  prizes;  (c)  a  committee  of  judges  for  the  exhibition  is  elected;  (d)  two 
auditors  of  the  accounts  of  the  current  year  are  chosen;  (e)  directors  for  the  following 
year  are  chosen.  The  choice  is  for  two  years,  but  the  first  year  one  more  than  one- 
half  withdraws;  the  second  year  the  remainder  withdraws;  the  first  time  by  lots, 
later  by  turns. 

SEC.  10.  The  president  receives,  by  March  1 ,  any  proposition  that  a  member  may 
desire  to  have  discussed  by  the  meeting. 

SEC.  11.  The  general  meeting  may,  when  it  is  legally  summoned,  pass  resolutions 
in  any  affair  of  the  society.  Propositions  to  change  the  rules  must  formerly  have 
been  discussed,  and,  in  calling  the  meeting,  the  announcement  must  be  made  that  a 
vote  will  be  taken  to  change  the  rules  and  that  changes  are  made  by  a  two-thirds 
majority  of  the  members  present.  In  order  to  be  valid,  the  resolution  must  be  rati- 
fied by  the  representatives  of  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark. 

SEC.  12.  Members  vote  by  show  of  hands,  or  by  ballot  when  two  of  the  members 
so  desire.  Members  present  may,  when  so  empowered,  vote  by  proxy,  but  no  one 
shall  cast  more  than  five  votes. 

E.  EXHIBITION. 

SEC.  13.  In  case  the  circuit  decides  to  hold  an  exhibition  and  award  prizes,  it 
selects,  in  order  to  pass  upon  the  exhibits,  not  less  than  three  judges,  of  whom  the 
circuit  chooses  two  and  a  substitute  and  the  Society  for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark 
the  third  and  a  substitute. 

SEC.  14.  The  judges  are  required,  unless  they  judge  by  points,  to  give  reasons  for 
their  decisions.  The  memoranda  of  the  judges  are  entered  on  the  minutes  of  the 
society. 

SEC.  15.  The  president  and  vice-president  of  the  society,  or,  in  their  failure  to  go, 
the  secretary,  have  their  expenses  to  the  meetings  of  the  representatives  of  the  Society 
for  Poultry  Breeding  in  Denmark  paid  in  proportion  to  the  length  of  the  journey, 
according  to  the  detailed  resolutions  of  the  circuit. 

Thus  adopted  at  the  meeting  of  representatives  at  Slagelse,  1902. 


POULTRY   AND   EGGS   IN   EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  71 

APPENDIX  II.— RULES  OF  THE  SOCIETY  FOB  THE  PROMOTION  OF 
POULTRY  BREEDING  IN  DENMARK. 

[Translation  by  Andrew  Fossum,  Ph.  D.] 
A.  OBJECT. 

SECTION  1.  The  object  of  the  society  is  to  further  poultry  breeding,  especially 
chicken  breeding,  and  the  egg  trade  in  Denmark. 

SEC.  2.  The  society  strives  to  attain  this  by  (a)  the  distribution  of  pamphlets;  (b) 
by  holding  exhibitions,  discussions,  and  lectures;  (c)  by  directions  and  information 
regarding  poultry  matters;  (d)  by  establishing  experiment  stations  and  distributing 
poultry  and  selling  eggs  of  pure  breeds. 

B.  MEMBERS. 

SEC.  3.  The  members  are  (a)  honorary  members,  who  may  be  chosen  at  the  meet- 
ings of  the  representatives  on  the  recommendation  of  the  directorate;  (b)  extraordinary 
members — any  member  who  has  paid  into  the  treasury  at  one  time  not  less  than  50 
kroner  ($13.40)  may  become  an  extraordinary  member;  (c)  ordinary  members,  who 
pay  an  annual  fee  of  (1)  2  kroner  (53.6  cents)  in  case  they  live  in  Denmark,  (2)  3 
kroner  (80.4  cents)  in  case  they  live  abroad.  The  directors  may,  when  the  circum- 
stances require  it,  increase  or  decrease  the  fee  and  accept  poor  members  free  of  charge. 
The  fee  for  the  current  year  is  collected  in  January  in  advance.  Application  for 
admission  goes  to  the  office  of  the  society.  Withdrawal  is  sent  in  writing  to  the 
same  office,  and  must  be  in  before  the  first  of  December;  otherwise  a  member  is 
obliged  to  pay  the  fee  for  the  following  year.  In  case  a  member  refuses  to  pay  the 
fee  when  it  is  due  his  name  is  dropped  from  the  membership  list.  Members  may 
be  excluded  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  representatives  present  on  the  unanimous 
recommendation  of  the  directors. 

C.  DIRECTORATE. 

SEC.  4.  The  directorate  consists  of  nine  members  chosen  by  the  representatives 
from  their  own  members  at  their  meeting.  Three  withdraw  annually  by  turns.  The 
directorate  chooses  its  own  president  and  vice-president.  In  years  when  the  society 
gives  exhibitions  the  directorate  may  add  to  their  number;  the  directorate  thus 
increased  constitute  the  exhibition  committee. 

SEC.  5.  The  president  represents  the  society  and  calls  the  meetings  of  the  directo- 
rate. Meetings  must  also  be  held  when  more  than  one-half  of  the  directors  so  desire. 
Resolutions  are  binding  if  more  than  one-half  of  the  directors  are  present.  The 
president  or  vice-president  presides  at  the  meetings  of  the  directorate. 

SEC.  6.  The  directorate  appoint  a  business  manager,  fix  his  salary,  and  instruct  him 
regarding  his  course  of  action.  The  manager  acts  as  secretary  and  treasurer,  and  is 
present  at  all  the  meetings;  he  also  gives  security  in  the  amount  of  at  least  2,000 
kroner  ($536).  He  can  not  vote  unless  he  is  a  member  of  the  directorate. 

SEC.  7.  The  manager  is  required  to  have  an  office  at  Copenhagen.  He  keeps  a  list 
of  the  members,  the  minutes  of  the  meetings  of  the  directors  and  representatives, 
conducts  the  correspondence,  preserves  and  arranges  the  archives,  edits  the  reports 
of  the  meetings  of  the  representatives,  receives  the  fees  of  the  members,  and  submits 
the  annual  accounts.  These  he  sends  in  the  January  quarter  to  the  president,  who 
forwards  them  to  the  auditors.  Bills  can  be  paid  only  when  they  are  approved  by 
the  president  or  vice-president. 

SEC.  8.  Matters  to  be  decided  by  the  representatives  and  requiring  expedition 
may  in  exceptional  cases  be  decided  by  the  directorate  without  a  meeting  by  let- 
ting the  representatives  vote  by  letter,  the  directors  mailing  voting  blanks  to  the 
representatives. 


72  BUREAU  OF  ANIMAL  INDUSTRY. 

D.  REPRESENTATIVES. 

SEC.  9.  The  directorate  are  elected  and  assisted  by  a  body  of  representatives  consist 
ing  of  thirty  members — fifteen  from  Copenhagen  and  fifteen  from  the  rest  of  the 
country.  One-third  withdraw  annually  by  turns.  Representatives  and  substitutes 
are  chosen  by  the  ordinary  members  of  the  society  by  majority  vote.  The  election 
takes  place  at  the  meeting  of  the  representatives  and  must  be  announced  two  weeks 
in  advance  in  the  Poultry  Journal.  No  one  can  vote  by  proxy.  If  any  meeting 
does  not  have  at  least  one  hundred  voting  members  present — not  counting  represent- 
atives and  directors — the  election  goes  to  the  meeting  of  representatives  and  direct- 
ors. Directors  and  representatives  have  the  right  to  vote  as  ordinary  members. 
Admission  to  the  meetings  of  the  representatives  is  open  to  all  members,  but  only 
directors  and  representatives,  except  in  accordance  with  the  rules  above,  have  the 
right  to  vote.  Directors  have  no  vote  in  electing  directors.  The  representatives 
supervise  the  actions  of  the  directors  through  auditors  chosen  by  the  representatives. 

SEC.  10.  The  society  holds  annual  meetings  of  the  representatives  at  Copenhagen. 
In  exhibition  years  the  representatives  hold  their  meeting  during  the  exhibition. 
Notice  of  the  meeting  appears  in  the  paper  of  the  society  four  weeks  in  advance.  The 
representatives  are  furnished  with  the  order  of  the  day  and  an  abstract  of  the  accounts 
at  least  two  weeks  before  the  meeting.  When  a  member  can  not  be  present,  he  shall 
notify  the  directors  at  least  five  days  in  advance.  The  directorate  may  summon  a 
substitute  to  take  the  place  of  such  a  member.  The  president  shall  call  extra  meet- 
ings of  the  representatives  when  more  than  one-half  of  the  directors  and  representa- 
tives demand  them. 

SEC.  11.  Members  have  free  admission  to  all  the  exhibitions  of  the  society. 

SEC.  12.  The  directors  shall  present  at  the  annual  meetings  of  the  representatives 
(a)  the  audited  accounts  of  the  previous  year  for  adoption;  (6)  the  plan  of  work  for 
the  coming  year;  (c)  the  plan  of  the  exhibition  in  case  one  is  to  occur  in  the  coming 
year;  (d)  nominations  of  judges  for  the  exhibition;  (e)  two  auditors  and  two  sub- 
stitutes for  the  next  financial  year;  (/)  choice  of  directors;  (g)  choice  of  represent- 
atives and  substitutes;  (h)  selection  of  the  next  meeting  place.  The  directors  and 
representatives  together  choose  a  chairman,  who  can  not  speak,  however,  without 
the  consent  of  the  meeting. 

SEC.  13.  Any  representative  may  make  inquiries  of  the  directorate  and  send  in 
subjects  for  discussion  at  the  meetings  of  the  representatives.  These  he  must  send 
at  least  four  weeks  in  advance.  Subjects  arriving  later  may  be  reported  to  the  meet- 
ing, but  can  not  be  discussed.  So  far  as  possible,  the  directors  are  to  print  and  for- 
ward to  the  representatives  before  the  meeting  the  subjects  for  discussion. 

SEC.  14.  By  majority  vote  the  representatives  pass  resolutions  on  any  matter  per- 
taining to  the  society.  Changes  in  the  rules  can  be  made  only  when  the  representa- 
tives have  received  notice  in  advance  that  such  propositions  are  forthcoming,  and 
when  two-thirds  of  the  representatives  vote  for  their  adoption  at  two  successive 
meetings. 

SEC.  15.  Voting  is  done  by  raising  the  hand,  or  by  ballot  if  one  member  of  the 
meeting  demands  it.  Ballots  must  not  be  signed. 

SEC.  16.  Directors  and  representatives  receive  free  passage  to  and  from  the  meet- 
ings over  the  shortest  route  by  first-class  steamship  and  second-class  railway. 


POULTRY    ATSD    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  73 

APPENDIX   III.— RULES    OF    THE    SOCIETY    FOR    PROFITABLE 
POULTRY   BREEDING. 

[Translation  by  Andrew  Possum,  Ph.  D.]- 

SECTION  1.  The  society,  whose  headquarters  are  located  at  Copenhagen,  exists  for 
the  sole  purpose  of  breeding  useful  poultry,  and  to  the  exclusion  of  those  used  for 
sport. 

SEC.  2.  It  strives  to  attain  this  object  by  (a)  establishing  as  many  centers  as  possi- 
ble in  all  the  counties,  the  especial  duties  of  which  shall  be  to  exchange  and  dis- 
tribute free  of  cost  eggs  and  fowls  of  pure  breeds,  and  to  sell  breeding  stock,  and 
freely  to  give  advice  in  rational  poultry  breeding;  (b)  holding  poultry  shows  in  con- 
nection with  the  agricultural  exhibitions  in  the  provinces;  (c)  furthering  in  general 
the  production  and  exportation  of  eggs  and  poultry;  (d)  awarding  prizes  to  private 
poultry  runs  on  the  basis  of  their  profitableness;  (e)  instructive  lectures;  (/)  the 
eventual  appointment  of  itinerant  instructors  or  advisers  in  poultry  keeping;  (g)  the 
eventual  publication  of  a  periodical. 

SEC.  3.  The  members  are:  («)  Honorary  members  nominated  by  the  directors  and 
elected  at  a  regular  meeting  of  the  representatives  by  a  two-thirds  majority;  (b) 
extraordinary  members,  who,  by  paying  once  for  all  a  fee  of  50  kroner  ($13.40),  are 
henceforth  considered  life  members;  (r)  regular  members,  who  pay  to  the  society  an 
annual  fee  of  at  least  2  kroner  (53.6  cents) ;  cottagers  and  those  who  are  similarly 
situated,  hoover,  pay  only  1  krone  (26.8  cents)  a  year. 

SEC.  4.  Members  may  be  admitted  at  any  time  by  the  directorate  or  by  the  repre- 
sentatives, and  also  at  the  poultry  centers.  Withdrawals,  on  the  other  hand,  must 
be  made  in  writing  to  the  treasurer  before  the  end  of  December.  A  member  may  be 
excluded  from  the  society  by  a  two-thirds  vote  of  the  directors.  This  decision  can 
not  be  appealed. 

Members  pay  their  first  annual  fee  when  they  are  admitted  to  the  society,  and 
afterwards  in  the  first  half  of  the  month  of  December;  otherwise  it  is  collected  through 
the  mails. 

SEC.  5.  The  directorate  consists  of  fifteen  members,  who  elect  their  own  officers, 
viz,  president,  vice-president,  secretary,  and  treasurer.  In  the  absence  of  the  presi- 
dent the  vice-president  takes  his  place.  The  members  of  the  directorate  are  elected 
at  the  regular  meetings  of  the  representatives,  for  three  years.  After  the  expiration 
of  the  first  three  years  one-third  retire  annually,  the  first  two  times  by  lot,  afterwards 
by  turns.  In  case  more  than  three  members  of  the  directorate  withdraw  or  retire 
between  the  annual  meetings  of  the  representatives,  the  representatives  must  be  sum- 
moned in  extra  session  to  fill  the  vacancies  for  the  unexpired  terms.  Retiring  mem- 
bers may  be  reelected. 

SEC.  6.  The  president  represents  the  society  and  calls  a  meeting  of  the  directors 
as  often  as  he-deems  it  necessary.  The  directors  also  may  demand  a  meeting.  » 

The  president  presides  at  all  the  meetings  of  the  directorate,  and,  in  case  of  a  tie, 
has  the  deciding  vote. 

SEC.  7.  The  secretary  conducts  the  correspondence,  superintends  the  distribution  of 
the  periodical,  makes  the  announcements  in  the  papers,  assists  the  treasurer  in  pre- 
paring the  financial  statement,  and  keeps  the  minutes  of  the  meetings  of  the  directors 
and  representatives.  The  representatives  determine  the  annual  salary  of  the  secretary. 
The  treasurer  keeps  the  records  and  lists  of  meml)ers,  sees  to  it  that  the  fees  are  col- 
lected in  accordance  with  section  4,  and  keeps  an  account  of  the  finances.  Under  ordi- 
nary circumstances  no  bills  must  be  paid  without  being  previously  referred  to  the 
president  or  vice-president. 

SEC.  8.  The  society  has,  as  already  indicated  in  sections  4  and  5,  a  body  of  repre- 
sentatives who  represent  the  meinlwrs.  The  representatives  shall  number  thirty- 
eight — two  from  each  county.  They  are  elected  directly  by  the  members  in  the 


74  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

counties,  for  a  term  of  three  years  at  a  time.     After  the  lapse  of  the  first  three  years 
one  of  the  representatives  retires  by  lot.     The  retiring  member  may  be  reelected. 

SEC.  9.  The  representatives  assemble  ordinarily  once  a  year  before  August  1,  on  a 
date  fixed  by  the  directors,  but  an  extra  meeting  may  be  called  at  any  time  by  the 
directors;  also  nineteen  representatives,  assigning  the  cause  in  writing  to  the  direc- 
tors, may  demand  an  extra  meeting. 

SEC.  10.  At  the  regular  annual  meeting  of  the  representatives  the  president  of  the 
directors  presents:  (a)  The  report  of  the  transactions  in  the  past  year;  (6)  the 
audited  accounts  for  ratification;  (c)  a  plan  of  work  for  the  coming  year;  (d)  a  draft 
of  instructions  for  the  judges  at  the  poultry  shows. 

Hereupon  they  proceed  to  elect  the  directors  and  two  auditors  to  audit  the  accounts 
of  the  ensuing  year. 

SEC.  11.  Any  member  of  the  society  may  attend  the  meetings  of  the  representa- 
tives, but  only  representatives  can  vote.  Members  have  everywhere  free  admission 
to  the  shows. 

SEC.  12.  The  representatives  must  be  informed  by  letter  of  the  dates  of  the  meet- 
ings, as  well  as  the  subjects  for  discussion,  at  least  three  weeks  in  advance.  Any. 
member  of  the  society  may  send  in  a  subject  for  discussion  at  the  meeting  of  the 
representatives;  it  must,  however,  be  sent  to  a  representative  at  least  four  weeks 
before  the  meeting  and  by  him  forwarded  to  the  president. 

SEC.  13.  The  representatives  are  the  last  resort  in  the  affairs  of  the  society;  a  sim- 
ple majority  decides.  In  electing  directors  any  member  may  demand  a  ballot;  only 
such  representatives  as  are  present  at  a  meeting  are  entitled  to  vote. 

SEC.  14.  After  being  laid  before  the  directors,  the  statement  of  accounts  is  turned 
over  by  the  president  to  the  auditors  before  the  end  of  February.  It  is  later  pre- 
sented at  the  regular  meeting  of  the  representatives. 

SEC.  15.  It  will  be  necessary  that  two-thirds  of  the  representatives  be  present  and 
that  three-fourths  of  these  vote  for  a  motion  in  order  to  change  the  constitution  or 
dissolve  the  society. 

SEC.  16.  Representatives  are  entitled  to  choose  at  least  one  deputy  for  each  parish 
to  assist  them  in  the  work  of  the  society. 

SEC.  17.  The  society  pays  the  traveling  expenses  of  the  representatives  and  direct- 
ors to  and  from  the  meetings  by  first  or  second  class  railway  or  steamer,  and  by  the 
shortest  route. 


APPENDIX  IV.— RULES  GOVERNING  THE   DANISH   COOPERATIVE 
EGG  EXPORT  SOCIETY. 

[Translation  by  Andrew  Possum,  Ph.  D.] 
THE  SOCIETY. 

SECTION  1.  The  name  of  the  cooperative  society  is  the  "Danish  Cooperative  Egg 
Export." 

SEC.  2.  The  cooperative  society,  which  came  into  existence  on  April  20,  1895,  has, 
since  April  20,  1900,  been  located  and  incorporated  at  Copenhagen.  The  main  office 
may  be  transferred  to  any  other  place  in  Denmark  whenever  the  directors  and  the 
representatives  so  decide. 

SEC.  3.  The  principal  object  of  the  society  is  to  provide  the  best  possible  market 
abroad  for  Danish  eggs  by  guaranteeing  to  the  customers  that  eggs,  delivered  with 
the  registered  trade-mark  as  fresh  eggs,  are  absolutely  new-laid  and  clean.  Further- 
more, it  is  the  object  of  the  society  to  protect  in  every  way  the  interests  of  egg 
producers,  and  may  include  the  preservation  and  the  sale  of  eggs  or  the  fattening  of 
poultry  belonging  to  members  of  the  cooperative  society,  also  to  further  promote 
well-conducted  poultry  breeding  and  poultry  keeping. 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  75 

THE   CIRCUITS. 

SEC.  4.  The  cooperative  society  consists  of  circuits  of  not  less  than  ten  members. 
Exceptions  to  this  rule  may  be  made  by  the  joint  action  of  the  directors  and  the 
representatives.  Every  circuit  that  has  joined  the  cooperative  society  is  bound  in 
every  way  by  the  laws  in  force  from  time  to  time.  The  directors  of  the  circuit  shall 
see  to  it  that  the  rules  of  the  circuit  are  in  harmony  with  those  of  the  society. 

SEC.  5.  When  a  circuit  desires  to  join  the  cooperative  society  the  directors  of  the 
circuit  notify  the  president  of  the  cooperative  society  in  writing.  Such  an  entrance 
is  binding  for  at  least  one  year.  A  copy  of  the  rules  of  the  circuit,  signed  by  the 
directors  of  the  circuit,  and  a  membership  list  with  the  number,  name,  and  occupa- 
tion of  each  member,  must  accompany  the  notification.  Furthermore,  the  circuit  is 
required  to  pay,  as  an  entrance  fee,  to  the  cooperative  society,  50  ore  [about  13J 
cents]  for  each  of  its  members.  For  each  new  member  50  ore  [about  13£  cents]  are 
likewise  paid,  unless  the  new  member  takes  the  place  of  a  withdrawing  member. 
The  president  of  the  cooperative  society  shall  be  immediately  informed  in  writing 
by  the  president  of  the  circuit  of  the  admission  of  new  members  into  the  circuit. 
The  directors  may  refuse  the  admission  of  circuits  or  members  of  circuits.  Appeal 
from  the  decision  of  the  directors  can  be  made  to  the  representatives  and  the  general 
meeting.  Withdrawal,  which  is  effected  in  the  same  manner  as  admission,  can  be 
granted  only  on  the  first  of  January,  after  at  least  three  months'  notice. 

SEC.  6.  Each  circuit  that  has  been  admitted  into  the  cooperative  society  is 
required  to  deliver  all  the  eggs  collected  from  the  members.  Eggs  over  seven  days  old 
must  not  be  delivered  in  the  circuit.  Violation  of  this  rule,  as  well  as  delivering 
spoiled  eggs,  is  punishable  by  a  fine  of  5  kroner  [$1.34],  and,  if  repeated,  the  fine 
may  be  increased  to  10  kroner  [$2.68].  At  the  beginning  of  each  calendar  year 
only  5  kroner  are  imposed  for  the  first  offense.  One-half  of  the  fine  goes  to  the 
cooperative  society  and  the  other  half  to  the  circuit  in  question.  The  fine  is 
imposed  by  the  directors  of  the  cooperative  society,  whose  decision  can  not  be 
appealed.  The  costs  of  a  suit  to  collect  the  fine  are  paid  by  the  one  on  whom  the 
fine  is  imposed,  the  ordinance  of  August  6,  1824,  notwithstanding. ' 

SEC.  7.  The  circuits  must  not  retain  the  eggs  received  more  than  four  days  before 
forwarding  them  to  the  society.  The  directors  of  the  cooperative  society  may,  how- 
ever, according  to  circumstances,  make  exceptions  in  this  matter,  as  well  as  in  the 
time  limit  for  delivering,  heretofore  mentioned  in  section  6.  The  eggs  must  be  deliv- 
ered absolutely  clean,  and,  in  order  that  their  origin  may  be  traced,  must  be  dis- 
tinctly stamped  with  the  number  of  the  circuit  and  the  number  of  the  member, 
according  to  the  membership  list.  The  society  may  refuse  to  accept  eggs  that  do  not 
answer  these  conditions,  or  discount  them  in  price.  In  order  that  the  stamping  of 
eggs  may  be  uniform,  each  circuit  must  provide  its  members  with  ink  and  rubber 
stamps  from  dealers  approved  by  the  society. 

SEC.  8.  If  a  circuit  has  not  delivered  all  the  eggs  collected  during  the  year  to  the 
cooperative  society,  or  if  it  has  kept  the  eggs  beyond  the  time  specified  in  section  7, 
it  loses  its  share  of  the  annual  surplus  and  reserve  fund  for  the  year  in  question,  and 
the  directors  of  the  cooperative  society  have,  furthermore,  the  right  to  consider  said 
circuit  as  having  withdrawn  at  the  close  of  the  financial  year. 

The  directors  may  exclude  circuits  or  members  of  circuits.  An  appeal  from  such 
decision  may  be  made  to  the  representatives  or  to  the  general  meeting,  but  not  to 
the  courts.  The  stamps  of  circuits  that  have  withdrawn  or  have  been  excluded  must 
be  sent  to  the  main  office  as  soon  as  possible  without  reimbursement.  Circuits  or 
members  of  circuits  that  have  withdrawn  or  have  been  excluded  have  no  claims 
whatsoever  to  the  property,  surplus,  or  reserve  fund  of  the  cooperative  society. 

SEC.  9.  The  freight  on  eggs  by  railway  or  steamer  is  paid  by  the  main  office,  but 
any  amount  exceeding  1  ore  [less  than  one-half  cent]  per  pound  of  eggs,  net  weight 
for  each  shipment,  is  charged  to  the  circuit. 


76  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

THE    DIRECTORATE. 

SEC.  10.  The  directorate  consists  of  the  president  and  four  other  members.  They 
are  elected  by  the  general  meeting — the  president  for  five  years  and  the  other  mem- 
bers for  two  years  each,  in  such  a  manner  that  two  withdraw  in  their  turn  each 
year.  Members  may  be  reelected  at  the  expiration  of  their  terms.  The  directors  choose 
a  vice-president  from  their  own  members.  The  executive  committee  consists  of  the 
president,  manager,  and  a  member  elected  by  the  directors  from  their  own  number. 
Two  of  its  members  may  continue  to  fix  the  quotations  on  export  eggs  and  sign 
papers  on  the  part  of  the  society.  In  case  one  of  the  directors  dies  or  resigns,  or  for 
some  other  reason  ceases  to  hold  office,  the  representatives  may  fill  the  vacancy.  If 
the  president  ceases  to  officiate,  the  vice-president  may  act  and  draw  the  salary  of  the 
president  until  the  next  regular  general  meeting,  unless  the  directors  deem  it  necessary 
to  call  an  extra  general  meeting  to  fill  the  vacancy.  Excepting  the  president,  the 
members  of  the  directorate  draw  no  salary,  but  while  performing  their  duties  they 
receive  6  kroner  [$1.61]  per  day  and  traveling  expenses  by  first-class  steamer  or 
second-class  railway,  as  well  as  1  krone  [26.8  cents]  per  mile  for  conveyance  by 
carriage. 

SEC.  11.  The  directorate  determines  upon  the  methods  of  business,  appoints  a 
manager  and  the  other  permanent  officers,  but  the  representatives  fix  their  pay. 
The  president  calls  a  meeting  of  the  directors  when  he  finds  occasion  to  do  so,  or  when 
at  least  three  directors  request  it.  If  possible,  the  call  is  made  seven  days  before  the 
meeting.  The  president  presides  at  the  meetings;  resolutions  are  passed  by  simple 
majority  in  such  a  way  that  a  legal  resolution  always  requires  three  votes.  The  pres- 
ident of  the  representatives  is  entitled  to  attend  the  meeting,  but  is  without  vote. 

SEC.  12.  The  president  directs  the  business  of  the  cooperative  society,  being 
responsible  for  the  management.  He  represents  the  society  in  courts.  The  salary 
of  the  president  is  5,500  kroner  [$1,474]  a  year,  and,  by  way  of  percentage,  a  half  a 
krone  [13.4  cents]  per  thousand  of  the  volume  of  transactions  of  the  last  business 
year  exceeding  3,000,000  kroner  [$804,000].  Traveling  in  the  interests  of  the  society 
the  president  receives  the  same  allowance  for  expenses  as  the  members  of  the 
directorate. 

THE    REPRESENTATION. 

SEC.  13.  The  representative  body,  which  consists  of  one  member  from  each  district, 
is  chosen  for  four  years,  one-half  retiring  every  other  year.  The  election  takes  place 
at  the  regular  general  meeting,  when  the  deputies  assemble  by  districts  and  choose 
one  representative  for  each  district.  Retiring  representatives  may  be  reelected.  Thp 
representatives  choose  a  president  and  vice-president  from  their  own  number  to  serve 
for  two  years.  The  president  summons  the  representatives  as  often  as  he  or  five 
other  members  deem  it  necessary.  A  notice  of  seven  days,  if  possible,  should  be 
given.  At  the  meetings  a  secretary  is  chosen  to  keep  the  minutes  in  which  the  dis- 
cussions and  the  votes  are  recorded.  The  minutes  are  signed  by  all  the  representa- 
tives after  being  read.  The  president  presides  at  the  meetings.  The  directors  take 
part  in  the  discussions,  but  have  no  vote. 

SEC.  14.  The  directors  must  submit  all  important  matters  not  pertaining  to  the 
daily  routine  to  the  representatives,  unless  a  matter  can  not  be  delayed,  in  which 
case  the  directors  decide  and  bring  it  before  the  representatives  at  a  later  date.  Abso- 
lute majority,  or  at  least  ten  votes,  are  required  to  decide  a  question.  The  represent- 
atives draw  no  regular  salary,  but  receive  the  same  daily  pay  and  traveling  expenses 
as  the  directors.  If  a  representative  dies,  or  withdraws,  or  resigns,  or  from  some 
other  cause  ceases  to  act,  the  deputies  of  his  district  fill  the  vacancy  at  the  first 
general  meeting. 

THE    AUDITORS. 

SEC.  15.  The  auditors  are  to  be  two  business  men  nominated  by  the  representa- 
tives and  chosen  by  the  general  meeting  for  two  years  in  each  case;  they  retire  in 


POULTRY     AND    EGGS    IN    EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  77 

alternate  years,  the  first  one  by  lot  (at  the  end  of  the  first  year).  Furthermore,  two 
business  men  are  chosen  as  substitutes.  The  auditors  shall  audit  the  accounts  at  least 
once  a  month.  They  have  at  all  times  unhindered  opportunity  to  inspect  the  opera- 
tions of  the  society,  especially  by  examining  the  stock  and  the  cash  on  hand,  the 
books  and  accounts,  other  records,  etc. 

Should  the  auditors  fi'nd  occasion  for  censure,  they  shall  report  to  the  president  of 
the  society  and  the  manager  is  required  to  comply  with  his  directions  until  the 
matter  can  be  decided  at  a  meeting  of  the  directors.  When  both  auditors  are  agreed 
they  can  demand  a  meeting  of  the  directors  or  of  the  representatives.  The  auditors 
may  be  summoned  to  the  meeting  of  the  directors,  but  they  have  no  vote.  The  pay 
of  the  auditors  is  determined  by  the  representatives,  upon  the  recommendation  of 
the  directors. 

THE   GENERAL    MEETING. 

SEC.  16.  The  general  meeting  consists  of  the  directors,  the  representatives,  and  a 
deputy  from  each  circuit  of  at  least  ten  members;  the  directors  and  representatives, 
however,  have  no  vote  unless  they  be  deputies  at  the  same  time.  The  deputy  must 
bring  credentials  from  the  directors  of  his  circuit.  A  deputy  from  Bornholm  may 
represent  as  many  as  five  circuits. 

SEC.  17.  A  regular  general  meeting  shall  be  called  annually  in  the  last  half  of  the 
month  of  March.  Extra  general  meetings  shall  be  held  when  the  directors  deem  it 
necessary,  or  when  demanded  by  one-tenth  of  the  circuits  or  by  one-half  of  the 
representatives.  The  extra  general  meeting  shall  be  held  within  one  month  after 
such  a  demand  has  been  made.  The  general  meeting  is  called  by  the  directors  in 
writing  to  the  presidents  of  the  circuits  at  least  fourteen  days  before  the  meeting. 
The  call  shaii,  so  far  as  possible,  be  accompanied  by  the  order  of  business.  Time 
and  place  of  meeting  are  announced  in  the  organ  of  the  society. 

Propositions  to  be  discussed  in  the  regular  general  meeting  must  be  reported  to  the 
president  by  February  20,  and  propositions  to  be  discussed  at  the  extra  general  meet- 
ings must  be  forwarded  to  the  president  when  the  demand  for  such  meetings  is  made. 
Immediately  before  the  regular  general  meeting  the  representatives  hold  a  meeting 
at  which  all  the  matters  in  the  order  of  the  day  of  the  general  meeting  are  discussed; 
the  representatives  may,  by  a  three-fourths  majority,  refuse  to  submit  any  of  the 
matters  to  the  general  meeting,  thereby  causing  them  to  be  dropped  from  the  order 
of  the  day;  matters  mentioned  in  section  19  and  complaints  which,  according  to  sec- 
tions 5  and  8,  can  be  appealed  to  the  general  meeting  are  excepted. 

SEC.  18.  The  general  meeting  elects  a  chairman,  a  secretary,  and  two  tellers.  The 
secretary  shall  keep  a  record  of  the  transactions  and  votes  of  the  general  meeting. 
The  record  is  signed  by  the  chairman  and  the  executive  committee;  it  is  admitted 
as  full  evidence  regarding  the  transactions  of  the  general  meeting.  Decisions  are 
made  by  majority,  except  in  cases  where,  according  to  the  rules,  a  qualified  majority 
is  required.  In  case  of  a  tie,  the  president's  vote  decides.  Voting  is  done  by  ballot, 
if  the  president  so  decides,  or  at  the  request  of  at  least  twenty  members.  Admission 
cards  to  the  general  meeting  must  be  shown  in  order  to  vote.  On  the  motion  of  the 
executive  committee  or  of  the  president,  a  deputy  may  be  excluded  from  the  general 
meeting  by  majority.  This  decision  can  not  be  made  the  cause  of  a  lawsuit. 

SEC.  19.  At  a  regular  general  meeting  the  following  is  the  order  of  business:  (a) 
Report  on  the  operations  of  the  cooperative  society  in  the  past  financial  year;  (ft)  to 
adopt  the  accounts,  after  being  audited;  (r)  the  eventual  choice  ot  a  president;  (rf) 
to  choose  members  of  the  executive  committee;  (e)  the  eventual  choice  of  representa- 
tives; (/)  the  choice  of  one  auditor  and  one  substitute;  (g)  the  selection  of  a  place 
for  the  next  general  meeting. 

THE    RESERVE    FUND. 

SEC.  20.  One-half  of  the  net  surplus  of  the  previous  year  is  paid  in  October  to  the 
circuits  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  eggs  delivered,  while  the  remainder  is  put  away 


78-  BUREAU    OF    ANIMAL    INDUSTRY. 

as  a  reserve  fund.     This  is  used  in  the  business,  but  is  credited  in  a  separate  account 
to  the  circuits  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  eggs  delivered. 

The  sums  credited  in  this  account  can  be  paid  only  when  the  society  is  dissolved, 
unless  in  the  opinion  of  the  executive  committee  there  is  no  use  for  the  entire 
amount.  The  share  in  the  reserve  fund  belonging  to  an  individual  member  or  to  a 
circuit  is  not  amenable  to  attachment  by  creditors,  yet  claims  of  the  cooperative 
society  against  said  parties  are  excepted.  At  the  eventual  settlement  with  the  cir- 
cuits the  earliest  series  are  paid  off  first.  The  shares  of  the  circuit  in  the  reserve 
fund  draw  an  annual  interest  of  4  per  cent,  which  is  paid  at  the  same  time  as  the 
surplus. 

THE    MANAGEMENT. 

SEC.  21.  The  money  of  the  society  must  be  deposited  in  the  bank  designated  by 
the  representatives.  Payments  are  made  by  the  bank  on  the  order  of  two  members 
of  the  executive  committee.  The  payments  to  the  circuits  for  the  eggs  that  have 
been  received  shall  be  made  as  soon  as  possible. 

SEC.  22.  Under  the  supervision  of  the  president,  the  manager  is  in  charge  of  the 
daily  operations  in  accordance  with  the  instructions  received  from  the  executive 
committee.  He  is  to  keep  the  storehouse  and  contents  insured  against  fire  and  the 
eggs  shipped  insured  against  losses  at  sea. 

SEC.  23.  The  president,  manager,  treasurer,  and  branch  managers  must  give  suffi- 
cient bonds  for  the  property  entrusted  to  them.  Contracts  and  affidavits  are  brought 
before  the  representatives  for  ratification. 

SEC.  24.  The  cooperative  society  can  only  be  dissolved  by  a  two-thirds  majority 
vote  at  two  successive  general  meetings.  Changes  in  the  rules  can  only  be  made 
when  at  least  two-thirds  of  the  members  present  at  the  general  meeting  thus  decide. 

SEC.  25.  At  the  eventual  dissolution  of  the  society  its  property  shall  be  turned 
into  cash.  Thereupon  all  the  outside  obligations  of  the  society  shall  be  paid  first. 
In  case  a  part  of  the  reserve  fund  is  used  for  this  purpose,  the  remainder  is  divided 
among  the  circuits  in  proportion  to  the  amounts  with  which  they  are  credited  in  the 
account  of  the  reserve  fund.  In  case  there  is  a  surplus  on  hand,  it  is  to  be  divided 
among  the  circuits  in  proportion  to  the  value  of  the  eggs  delivered  in  the  financial 
year  immediately  preceding  the  dissolution. 

SEC.  26.  These  rules  go  into  effect  April  1,  1902. 

Adopted  in  the  general  meeting  at  Copenhagen  March  22,  1902. 


Rules  of  Circuit  No.  —  of  the  Danish  Cooperative  Egg  Export  Society. 

SECTION  1.  The  circuit  belongs  to  the  cooperative  society  "The  Danish  Coopera- 
tive Egg  Export"  and  is  required  to  conform  to  the  rules  of  the  same  that  are  in 
force  from  time  to  time. 

SEC.  2.  Members  are  admitted  by  applying  to  the  directors  of  the  circuit.  Each 
member  pays  to  the  Danish  Cooperative  Egg  Export  50  ore  [about  13J  cents]  as 
admission  fee  and  1  ore  per  hen  to  the  circuit. 

SEC.  3.  All  members  are,  without  any  declaration  on  their  part,  subject  to  the 
circuit  laws  as  they  now  are  or  as  they  may  be  legally  changed  hereafter. 

SEC.  4.  Members  are  required  to  deliver  all  the  eggs  (so  many  as  are  required  for 
the  household  or  for  setting  or  have  been  casually  found  are  excepted)  in  such  a  way 
and  at  such  times  as  are  fixed  by  the  directors  of  the  circuit.  This  agreement  is 
binding  for  one  year  at  a  time. 

SEC.  5.  Eggs  over  seven  days  old  must  not  be  delivered.  A  violation  of  this,  as 
well  as  delivering  spoiled  eggs,  is  punishable  by  a  fine  of  5  kroner  [f  1.34],  imposed 
by  the  directors  of  the  cooperative  society;  and,  ii  repeated,  the  fine  may  be  increased 
to  10  kroner  [$2.68].  One  half  of  the  fine  goes  to  the  Danish  Cooperative  Society, 


POULTRY    AND    EGGS    IN   EUROPEAN    COUNTRIES.  79 

the  other  half  to  the  circuit  in  question.  The  finding  of  the  directors  of  the  parent 
society  is  not  subject  to  appeal,  in  spite  of  the  decision  of  the  circuit  directors  or  the 
egg  collector.  In  case  of  a  suit  to  collect  the  fine  the  expenses  are  paid  by  the  party 
on  whom  the  fine  was  imposed,  the  ordinance  of  August  6,  1824,  notwithstanding. 

SEC.  6.  The  eggs  must  be  carefully  gathered  once  a  day  and  during  the  hot  sea- 
son at  least  twice  a  day.  Eggs  that  have  been  casually  found  must  not  be  delivered. 
Only  artificial  eggs  must  be  used  as  nest  eggs,  and  the  hens  must  be  excluded  from 
the  nests  at  night. 

SEC.  7.  Only  clean  eggs  are  to  be  delivered,  and  they  must  be  protected  against 
sun,  rain,  and  frost  by  producers  as  well  as  egg  collectors. 

SEC.  8.  The  members  must  deliver  to  the  circuit  eggs  from  their  own  poultry  only; 
the  violation  of  this  rule  is  punished  in  the  first  instance  by  a  fine  of  25  ore  [nearly 
7  cents] — afterwards  50  ore — a  pound  of  the  eggs  that  have  been  delivered  contrary 
to  these  rules. 

SEC.  9.  The  membership  list  of  the  circuit  shall  have  "the  number,  name,  and 
occupation  of  each  member,  and  a  member's  number  on  the  list  shall  be  that  with 
which  he  stamps  his  eggs.  The  president  of  the  circuit  shall  report  changes  in  the 
list  to  the  main  office  of  the  cooperative  society.  By  paying  about  25  ore  [nearly  7 
cents]  each  member  receives  a  rubber  stamp,  ink,  and  pad.  The  stamp  has  the 
number  of  the  circuit  and  of  the  member,  and  the  member  must  use  it  to  stamp 
neatly  and  distinctly  the  large,  thick  end  of  every  egg  before  delivering. 

SEC.  10.  The  egg  collector  will  accept  only  eggs  that  are  clean  and  that  have  been 
distinctly  and  properly  stamped. 

SEC.  11.  The  directors  of  a  circuit  may  temporarily  refuse  to  accept  the  eggs  of  a 
member,  and  a  member  may  be  excluded  by  a  majority  vote  of  a  general  meeting 
or  by  the  directors  of  the  cooperative  society. 

SEC.  12.  The  necessary  money  to  pay  cash  for  the  eggs  of  the  members  is  bor- 
rowed; the  members  are  liable  for  the  debt  individually  and  as  an  organization,  and 
the  money  is  paid  out  to  the  egg  collector,  who  gives  satisfactory  bonds. 

SEC.  13.  The  eggs  are  paid  for  at  prices  fixed  by  the  directors  of  the  circuit.  What 
the  eggs  bring  over,  and  above  this  price  is  paid  to  the  members  only  after  a  sum 
sufficient,  in  the  judgment  of  the  directors,  to  run  the  business  has  been  put  aside. 

SEC.  14.  A  withdrawal  is  reported  to  the  directors  of  the  circuit,  but  the  connec- 
tion ceases  only  after  the  close  of  the  financial  year.  Members  that  have  withdrawn 
or  been  excluded  have  no  claim  to  the  surplus,  reserve  fund,  or  to  any  property 
belonging  to  the  society,  and  must  without  reimbursement  surrender  their  stamps  to 
the  president  of  the  circuit. 

SEC.  15.  The  directors  of  the  circuit  consist  of  an  uneven  number  of  members, 
namely ,  and  are  chosen  by  the  general  meeting  (of  the  circuit). 

SEC.  16.  The  duty  of  the  directors  of  the  circuit  is  to  see  to  it  that  the  business  of 
the  circuit  is  furthered  in  the  best  manner  possible  by  taking  such  measures  as  shall 
insure  the  delivery  of  the  eggs  to  the  cooperative  society  in  the  condition  required. 
The  directors  of  the  circuit  appoint  and  dismiss  the  egg  collector  and  others  employed 
in  the  business  of  the  circuit,  determine  their  pay,  and  supervise  their  work. 

SEC.  17.  The  general  meeting  elect  annually  two  auditors  to  audit  the  accounts  of 
the  year  before  the  end  of  January  of  the  following  year. 

SEC.  18.  The  regular  general  meeting  is  held  in  the  beginning  of  February,  so 
early  that  propositions,  if  any,  to  the  directors  of  the  parent  society,  may  be  for- 
warded to  its  president  before  the  20th  of  February. 

SEC.  19.  The  circuit  sends  one  deputy  to  the  general  meeting  of  the  cooperative 
society. 

SEC.  20.  When  the  circuit  is  eventually  dissolved  and  all  obligations  paid,  the 
remaining  assets,  if  any,  shall  be  divided  among  the  members  in  proportion  to  the 
value  of  the  eggs  delivered  during  the  last  financial  year. 

Adopted  at  a  general  meeting  at  —     — ,  19 — . 

o 


[Continued  from  2d  page  of  cover.] 


Dr.  ,T.   S.   Kelly,   cure  Blomer   &    Michael    Co., 

Quincy,  111. 

Dr.  F.  D.  Ketchum,  South  St.  Paul,  Minn. 
Dr.  C.  Loveberry,  room  402  Custom  House  (new  >, 

Portland,  Oreg. 

Dr.  H.  D.  Mayne,  Malone.  X.  Y. 
Dr.  Louis  Metsker,  room  22  X.  T.  Armijo  Building, 

Albuquerque,  N.  Mex. 
Dr.  J.  Miller,  care  John  Morrell  &  Co.,  Ottumwa, 

Iowa. 

Dr.  ('.  L.  Morin,  St.  Albans,  Vt, 
Dr.  A.  B.  Morse,  care  The  Agar  Packing  Co.,  Des 

Moines.  Iowa. 
Dr.  W.  J.  Murphy,  care  Springfield  Provision  Co., 

Brightwood.  Mass. 
Dr.  W.  N.  Neil,  care  John  Cudahy  Co.,  Wichita, 

Kans. 
Dr.  H.  D.  Paxson,  care  Swift  &  Co.,  Fort  Worth, 

Tex. 

Dr.  F.  M.  Perry,  Fort  Fail-field,  Me. 
Dr..  G.   W.    Pope,  Animal   Quarantine  Station, 

Athenia,  N.  J. 
Dr.  H.  T.  Potter,  Calais,  Me. 
Dr.  J.O.  Price,  care  Brittain  &  Co.,  Marshalltown, 

Iowa. 

Dr.  R.  A.  Ram»ay,  Hotel  Metropole,  Fargo,  N.  Dak. 
Dr.  A.  G.  G.  Richardson,  707  Empire  Building, 

Knoxville,  Tenn. 


Dr.  A.  E.  Rishel,  care*Cudah,-  Packing. Co.,  Los 
Angeles,  Cal. 

Dr.  W.  H.  Rose,  18  Broadway,  New  York,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  F.  L.  Russell,  Orono,  Me. 

Dr.  J.  F.  Ryder,  141  Milk  st,  Boston,  Mass. 

Dr.  W.  A.  Savage,  Aurora,  111. 

Dr.  E.  P.  Schaffter,  care  Cleveland  Provision  Co., 
Cleveland,  Ohio. 

Dr.  C.  A.  Schaufler,  134  South  Second  st.,  Phila- 
delphia, Pa. 

Dr.  Thos.  W.  Scott,  care  The  Rath  Packing  Co., 
Waterloo,  Iowa. 

Dr.  T.  A.  Shipley,  care  T.  M.  Sinclair  &  Co.  (Ltd.), 
Cedar  Rapids,  Iowa. 

Dr.  N.  C.  Sorensen,  care  Kingan  &  Co.,  Indian- 
apolis, Ind. 

Mr.  Wm.  H.  Wade,  Animal  Quarantine  Station, 
Halethorp,  Md. 

Dr.  H.  N.  Waller,  109  West  Forty-second  st,  New 
York,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  G.  W.  Ward,  Newport,  Vt. 

Dr.  B.  P.  Wende,  Live  Stock  Exchange  Building, 
East  Buffalo,  N.  Y. 

Dr.  W.  H.  Wray,  34  Streatham  Hill,  London  S.  W., 
England. 

Dr.  C.  H.  Zink,  care  Western  Packing  Co.,  Denver, 
Colo. 


DAIRY   INSPECTORS. 


W.  D.  Collyer,  210  South  Water  st.,  Chicago,  111. 

James  Hewes,  2110  North  Charles  St.,  Baltimore, 
Md. 

M.  W.  Lang,  Department  of  Agriculture,  Wash- 
ington, D.  C. 

E.  A.  McDonald,  58  and  59  Downs  Block,  Seattle, 
Wash. 

Wm.  E.  Smith,  168  Chambers  St.,  New  York,  N.  Y. 


B.  F.  Van  Valkenburgh,  168  Chambers  st.,  New 

York,  N.  Y. 

E.  H.  Webster  (in  the  field,  or),  Manhattan,  Kans. 
Levi  Wells  (Bradford  County),  Spring  Hill,  Pa.- 
G.  M.  Whitaker,  P.  O.  box  1332,  Boston,  Mass. 
W.  D.  McArthur,  114  California  St.,  San  Francisco, 

Cal. 


